Broken Road, Part 1
by Tori Bradley
Summary: COMPLETE...Eric and Taylor travel down the broken road to true love... Will they be able to make it, or will their lives be too much to take?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: HELLO TO EVERYONE… THIS STORY IS A SERIES THAT WILL HAVE 3 PARTS IN TOTAL, AND THIS IS JUST PART 1. IT BEGINS AFTER 'reinforcements FROM THE FUTURE' AND THROUGH THE FINALE OF WILD FORCE.

NOTE: SPD WILL BE USED HEAVILY IN THIS SERIES, AND YOU WILL SEE WHY IN UPCOMING CHAPTERS AND IN PARTS 2 AND 3. I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS I DID WHEN I WROTE IT. '

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH POWER RANGERS.

PLEASE REVIEW!

"_You met other Power Rangers? Were they nice?"_

Shayla's words kept echoing through Taylor's head as she ran after the Quantum Ranger who, moments ago had tickled her in a totally childish manner and stole her book.

Their mission had been a complete success and, to Taylor's surprise, she realized that she was going to miss the man who had been driving her insane since he had given her a speeding ticket days earlier… he wasn't too bad to look at either.

As soon as she had seen him in her window a few days ago, she thought he was the most gorgeous guy she had ever laid eyes on. It was pathetic in her opinion that she was acting like some mindless teenager, but she couldn't get his image out of her head.

Up ahead, she saw Cole and Wes run past Alyssa and Jen. Eric was in her sights and she zeroed in on her target like she had been trained to do.

Eric saw the surprised faces of his friends and teammates as he ran past them as fast as his legs could go. The path ahead of him ran into the jungle, and he glanced behind him and saw Taylor actually catching up.

Her blonde hair was blowing behind her and he grinned.

The day he gave her that ticket would be embedded in his memory forever. There was just something about her that drew him to her. For one, she was absolutely beautiful in his eyes. Then there was the fact that she tried to fight him over the ticket. Over the past three days he found that he wanted to get to know her better… not like other girls he had been interested in.

"Meyers, you give that back!" she cried laughing a little.

Eric smirked and stopped, turning around to face her. Unfortunately for Taylor, she ran right into him, sending them both to the ground. Eric held her and took most of the impact landing them both on his back.

They both let out a sort of grunting sound as they landed. Taylor felt his arms around her and couldn't help but look into his soft brown eyes as she lay on top of him.

Eric too was caught up in the moment. Originally he hadn't planned on this happening, but now that is was, there was only one thing he could do…

His head moved up and his lips met hers in a quick, soft kiss.

Taylor felt his lips on hers and was shocked for the brief moment they were joined. When he pulled away however, she found that she didn't want him to stop. She leaned down then and met his lips.

Eric was pleasantly surprised when she didn't slap him. He figured she would have kicked his ass for a stunt like that, but he was happy that she didn't.

He slipped his tongue into her mouth and felt hers gently press against his. She tasted like fruit and something that was uniquely her. One of his hands found their way into her hair, while the other kept a firm hold on her waist.

Taylor felt his tongue on hers and then her senses seemed to ignite. His hand weaved itself into her hair, and she moaned approvingly. She gently ran her fingers along his face and into his hair, getting a tighter hold around her waist as a result.

Their hands began to roam somewhat, until both felt the need to breath. Pulling away, they were both breathless from running and making out. Letting out deep breaths, Eric could only look into her blue eyes and grin like an idiot.

Taylor saw his face and gave him a sly smile. "I can't believe I have to go through all this to get my book," she said.

Eric let out an exasperated sigh and ran his hand through her blonde hair. "I would have hoped you didn't do this _just_ to get a book Lieutenant," he replied.

She grinned and saw a certain spark in his eyes. "Well, maybe not _just_ for the book." Eric leaned into her again and kissed her softly, tenderly.

"What would you say if I asked you to dinner sometime?" he asked.

Taylor was indeed surprised by this… and a little nervous. She was supposed to be the ice queen… she didn't let people get attached to her, and she didn't get attached to anyone else. From what she had heard, Eric was very much the same.

She knew why she shied away from relationships… she had seen what happened when things went wrong. Her childhood had shown her that in big bold letters, but she refused to go back there now. Right now, she didn't want to think about that…

"I'd say you were nuts."

"And I'd say you're just being difficult." Taylor felt his hand run along her face. "I'm serious. I would like to take you out."

"And start World War three in public? You're crazy. We'd kill each other."

"I'm counting on it," he replied. He knew she could dish it out just like he could… that was part of the attraction…

Taylor sighed. "There's no talking you out of this is there?" she asked.

"Not unless you kill me."

She sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to win the battle. "As long as it's not any place tacky," she replied. Eric smirked.

"You're very demanding aren't you?"

"You better believe it." Eric smiled then, the first genuine smile he had shown in a long time.

"I'll have to call you then," he said as he leaned up again to meet her pouting lips…

The all too familiar sound of Taylor's Growl Phone interrupted them, and Taylor got to her feet slowly.

Eric got up as well and straightened himself out. He was sure he'd get an earful from Wes later, but he didn't care right now. He looked at Taylor as she attempted to straighten her hair out.

"Ok- we'll be right there," she said. She turned back to Eric with a questioning look on her face.

"What? Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Who's Captain Logan?"

Eric's face was blank for a moment… something must be happening. "He's in charge of Time Force."

"That was Cole. He said that they're getting a transmission from him."

"Let's go," he said. To both he and Taylor's surprise, he took her hand and held it firmly, running again.

"Hey!" she cried out as they made their way back to camp.

When they returned to the temple, Eric immediately saw that Wes was holding Jen in his arms tightly and it appeared that they both had tears shining in their eyes.

"Oh shit," Eric said under his breath.

Taylor saw the scene and was thinking the same thing Eric was… Jen had to leave Wes… again. "Come on," she said as they walked over to Trip and Katie.

"What happened?" Eric asked. Wes and Jen both broke their embrace and looked at Eric, surprisingly, with smiles on their faces.

"Looks like I'll be sticking around for a while," Jen said. It was then that Eric understood why she and Wes were crying… they were so happy…

"Seriously?" he asked in shock. Jen nodded her head and Wes pulled her into another hug.

"Captain Logan said that Jen went above and beyond the call of duty with this mission," Lucas said.

"So he's letting her stay here, with Wes," Katie finished. Taylor watched as Eric broke away from her and went to talk to his team. The rest of the Time Force squad joined the happy couple.

Alyssa sidled her way over to Taylor and smiled. "So… where were you and Eric?" she asked.

Taylor turned a light shade of red, much to Alyssa's delight. "Nowhere interesting," she replied. Alyssa smirked and reached into her hair to remove a leaf.

"I bet," she said. Taylor sent her a small glare and the white ranger just smiled.

The rest of the afternoon went off without a hitch, but as night fell, the Time Force rangers knew it was time to finally say goodbye.

Both teams, along with Nadira and Ransik went to the beach to bid their friends farewell.

After saying her goodbyes, Taylor stood back with her team and watched as Eric hugged each member, even Nadira, and shook Ransik's hand. Jen and Wes did much of the same, and then walked back to the others.

Eric stood with Wes and Jen as the ship drifted off into the sky and vanished. He turned and saw that Taylor was the only one remaining. The others decided to head back to the Animarium.

He felt eyes on him and knew that Wes, and now Jen, were going to let him have it for running off with her earlier.

"I don't know if I'll be able to handle… this," Eric said jokingly as Wes held Jen closer to him.

"Maybe if you find someone of your own," Jen said, obviously motioning to Taylor.

"Now I have to hear it from you," he said throwing his hands in the air. They both smiled and kissed as Eric walked over to Taylor.

"I take it they're happy?" she said referring to Wes and Jen.

"Oh yeah… I doubt Wes will be at work tomorrow. They have a lot of… catching up to do."

"I bet," she said softly.

Eric reached out and took her hand. "How about dinner, Saturday," he suggested.

"You know where the Animarium entrance is."

Eric grinned. "I'll see you Saturday then."

Moments later, Taylor was in the parking lot on her way back… she had a date… an actual date… she needed to talk to Alyssa…

Eric watched her drive off with a satisfied smile.

"Awe… I think Eric's growing up," Wes said as he and Jen joined him.

"You two make me sick," he said as he made his way up to his car. Jen just grinned.

"This should be interesting," she said. "I bet they kill each other." Wes laughed and led her up to his motorcycle.


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe I let you talk me into coming here," Taylor muttered as she and Alyssa stood outside one of the, in Taylor's opinion, girliest store in Turtle Cove.

"You're the one that said you wanted something nice to wear," Alyssa reminded her as they entered.

Alyssa had a point. Taylor hadn't been out on a date since before she joined the Force… there was only one other person that knew why she stayed away from guys in general, and she was standing next to her.

"Hey? You alright?" Alyssa asked.

Taylor just nodded and walked over to a rack of tank tops. Alyssa sadly smiled at her friend. Over the passed months Taylor had opened up to her about her domestic life, and frankly she could understand why Taylor was the way she was.

"So where's he taking you?" she asked as she looked through the racks.

"Probably some seedy bar," Taylor said as she removed a black tank top.

"Taylor," Alyssa said as she gave her a look. "He didn't seem all that bad."

A small smile appeared on the yellow ranger's face. He wasn't that bad… "Okay… probably some relatively descent bar." Alyssa just shook her head.

They shopped a little more until Taylor found a suitable ensemble.

As they were driving back towards the Animarium, Alyssa asked the question that was burning in her mind.

"Taylor… are you going to… tell him?"

Taylor sighed. "Yeah Alyssa. I'm going to blurt it right out to him," she said sarcastically. "That should send him running."

Alyssa looked hurt and Taylor instantly knew she was only trying to help.

"No… not right away. I mean, I have a good feeling about this, but I don't want to push it yet," she said. Alyssa nodded in understanding as they found the place they were looking for.

It was nearly six when they got back, and Taylor managed to get ready without Max, Danny, Cole, or Shayla interrupting her. She would have to thank Alyssa for that later…

"Taylor?" She turned and saw Alyssa in the doorway. "Eric's here." Taylor straightened out her shirt and walked out.

Eric had his back to her, but he knew she was there. He turned around and his eyes widened.

She had on black pants, a black tank top and a loose yellow sweater that fell off one shoulder. Her hair was down and she even had a little bit of makeup on.

Taylor stared at Eric and felt her heart begin to pound. He had on black jeans, with a loose wine colored button shirt and a leather jacket.

"Wow," he said suddenly. Alyssa smiled and left, and Taylor only smirked.

"I think you're blushing Meyers," she said as she walked over to him and passed him.

Eric just watched her go and wondered what the hell was wrong with him.

"You coming or not?" he heard her say.

"Oh this is going to be a long night," he said as he followed her.

A few hours later, Taylor found herself strolling down the streets of Silver Hills on Eric's arm.

After dinner at a _very _nice restaurant, and drinks and dessert at another, they were ready to call it a night.

They drove down the, now, familiar back road to Turtle Cove.

"If you take the next left… we'll hit my apartment," Taylor said as she kept her eyes straight on the road.

Eric almost did a double take. "Why Lieutenant, are you propositioning me?"

"In your dreams Meyers… I just thought perhaps you'd like a cup of coffee or something."

"And what would that 'or something' be exactly?"

"Just take a left," she said. Eric grinned and did as she commanded. Perhaps their night wasn't over just yet…

A few minutes later found them walking up the outdoor stairs that lead to Taylor second floor apartment.

"I thought you all lived on the Animarium," Eric said as she opened the door and turned on a light.

"We do, now. But Danny, Alyssa and I have our own places here. Max still lives with his parents technically. Cole's really the only one that lives on the Animarium," she explained.

She walked into the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on. While she was in there, Eric made himself at home by sitting on her couch and looking around. The apartment was small, but cozy. A few photos were on the wall, and there were a few odd decorations.

Not overly done, but not unfinished. "How long have you been living here?" he asked.

"About six years now," she replied as she came back in with two mugs. She handed him one and sat next to him. "We get some off time from the base occasionally, so I like to come back here."

"What about your folks? You don't stay with them?" he asked as he sipped his coffee.

There it was. The big family question Taylor had been dreading all night. A rush went through her and she didn't know what to do. If she told him the truth what would he say? It was still too soon to be laying her life story out in front of him…

"They don't really live around here… my dad's back east and my mom's in northern California," she said, as she took a sip, not caring that the liquid burned her throat.

"They divorced?"

"Separated," she said plainly, hoping he would buy it. There was no need to ruin this night…

"That's too bad," he said. Eric too was feeling uneasy about the whole conversation. His family life was nothing he wanted to talk about and he regretted bringing up the topic.

"Yeah," she said idly. She needed to change subjects fast. Eric could feel it too.

"So… is yellow your favorite color?" he asked out of nowhere.

Taylor nearly spit out her coffee. "That has to be the lamest thing I have ever heard," she said laughing. Eric mentally slapped himself.

"It was the first thing that came to my head," he said as he placed his mug down. Taylor was in a fit of giggles now, trying to compose herself.

"Oh wait till I tell Wes that one!" she laughed as she placed her mug down as well.

"You think that's funny?" he asked mock sternly.

"Yup," she replied.

Without warning, Eric nearly pounced on her, pinning her body underneath his. His hands were on her upper arms and he straddled her. He leaned down and caught her lips with his.

As soon as she hit the couch, her eyes closed and she went back to a place she never wanted to be again… memories of being held down, being forcefully kissed and…

"Get off of me," she pleaded when his lips met her neck. "Please… stop," she said as tears began to well up in her eyes.

Eric immediately stopped what he was doing and looked into her eyes; what he saw shook him to the bone… he got off her and she slowly sat up, looking into space.

He reached out to touch her face her, but involuntarily she moved away a little.

"Taylor I," he began.

Taylor took a deep breath. "I… think you should go," she said as she rose.

Eric sighed. Something was obviously wrong, but he wasn't going to push it now. "Are you sure you want to be alone right now?" he asked as he got his jacket.

Taylor opened the door. "Yeah… I just… I just need some time, ok? Look I had a really great time tonight. Maybe we could do it again sometime, but right now I just need to go to bed," she said.

Eric walked over to her and gently kissed her cheek. "I had a good time too… I'll call you." He walked down the stairs and got into his car wondering what the hell had happened.

Upstairs as Taylor shut her door and watched him drive away, she thought the same thing…


	3. Chapter 3

A week went by and Taylor found herself outside of the Silver Guardians headquarters. Eric hadn't called, and she feared that she had pushed him away. Hopefully she could talk to him.

She walked into the building and up to the receptionist.

"Hi. I'd like to see Commander Meyers," she said to the girl behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, but he's not to be disturbed," she said without even looking up. Taylor knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Could you just let him know that Taylor Earhardt is here?" she asked again.

The receptionist looked up at her. Taylor had to admit, she was a very pretty girl but that was about it. "The Commander is a very busy man," she said. "I don't think he has time for… you," she said with her nose in the air.

That was it for Taylor. "Look, I really don't have time to put up with this. All I want you to do is press that little button and tell him that Lieutenant Earhardt is waiting for him. And trust me, if he finds out that I was here and you wouldn't let me pass he won't be too happy."

The girl smirked. 'Who the hell does she think she is?' she thought. 'Eric would never go out with a girl like her.'

"Fine, _Lieutenant,_" she said as she dialed Eric's extension.

"Sir, there's a Miss Earhardt here to see you," she said smiling. Taylor watched as the girl's smiled faded and her face went blank. "Yes sir." She hung up and handed her a pass. "Go down the hallway and it's the third door on your right," she said defeated.

"Thank you," Taylor said as she walked through the double doors with a satisfied smile on her face. She followed the directions and saw Eric's name on a large wooden door. She took a breath and knocked.

"Come in," Eric said when he heard the knock. Taylor entered and Eric motioned for her to sit. He was completely engrossed in his work, and he wasn't sure as to why she was there. "Have a seat."

Taylor was a little surprised at his demeanor, but figured this was Eric being Eric.

A few moments went by before Eric placed his pen down. He looked at her and folded his hands. "Was there something you needed?"

Taylor furrowed her brow. "I needed to talk to you, but if you're going to give me attitude, I might as well leave."

"Taylor, I don't know what you think I was going to do the other night, but if there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I would never do anything that you wouldn't want me to." Taylor was about to say something, but he cut her off. "Now I'm not sure as to what kind of person you think I am, but I thought we were having a good time."

"We were," she said. "I just… I just," she struggled. "Damn it Eric, sometimes I get nervous in situations like that okay?" She sank into her chair. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen. She didn't want to seem weak.

Eric got out from behind his desk and walked over to her. Taylor looked at him and rose. This position seemed all too familiar and was getting old in Taylor's opinion.

"Is that it?" he asked.

"That's it. That's all I came here to talk to you about. And now that it's out there, proving me to be a complete moron, I'll be going." Taylor went to leave, but felt Eric take her hand.

She was pulled to him and felt his lips on hers gently. His hand cupped her cheek and she held onto his waist, returning the kiss. Eric broke away but held her cheek.

"Meet me here later tonight around eight," he said.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" she retorted. Eric kissed her again. There was something about the way he kissed her that made her brain shut off and made her want to agree to anything.

"Eight, out front," he said. Taylor just grinned and moved for him to kiss her again. Eric pulled away. "Later," he whispered.

Taylor pouted a little. "We'll see about that," she said as she walked out. Eric just sighed and smiled. For some reason he was more motivated to do his work…

Eight o'clock came around and Taylor waited impatiently outside of her car for Eric. She was a very punctual person and she had no idea what Eric was planning for the evening.

The doors opened and she thought she was seeing things. Eric was walking out in a black suit and tie. He saw her and noticed the odd look she was giving him. He smirked.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"What the hell is going on? And, why are you in a suit?"

Eric just went over, and in a swift, unexpected move, swept Taylor into his arms and kissed her cheek.

"Eric, you're scaring me," she said smiling a little. Eric straightened her up and took her hand.

"We're going over to Wes's," he said as he opened his car door for her.

"Who are you and what have you done with Eric?"

He just closed the door and got into the driver's side. "Believe it or not, I'm not a complete asshole."

Taylor just shut up and let him drive. It was about halfway to Wes's estate that she realized she wasn't dressed for the occasion.

"If you haven't noticed, I wasn't planning on anything fancy tonight."

Eric glanced over to her. "Oh I noticed all right, but don't worry. Everything's being taken care of."

Taylor just stared at him in amazement and let him drive. A few minutes later they pulled into the gate and parked.

They walked up to the door and were greeted by Phillips.

"Good evening Commander," he said to Eric. He looked at Taylor and smiled. "And you must be Lieutenant Earhardt. Miss Jennifer has told me a lot about you and I'm pleased to meet you at last." He took her hand and she shook it.

"I hope it wasn't anything too bad," she joked as they were led inside. Taylor just stared at the grand entryway. 'Wes is better off than I thought,' she said to herself.

"Eric, Taylor!" Wes said as he and Jen came down the stairs grinning like idiots. "Glad you could make it." He shook hands with them both, and Taylor felt even more out of place in her black pants and Wildforce jacket.

Jen noticed her discomfort and decided to take her to get changed. "Taylor," she said. "Come on. Dinner won't be ready for a little while." Taylor silently thanked her and she and Jen went upstairs.

Wes saw Eric's face as Taylor left and just grinned. Without even looking at him, Eric knew what Wes was doing.

"Don't even say it Wes," he said as they went into the bar area and got drinks. He ordered Taylor a drink and Wes's smile just grew.

"So, you somehow managed to get her here, and I saw that look you gave her when she walked upstairs," he said.

"What look?" he asked defensively.

"Like she was never coming back. Geeze Eric, I never thought I'd see the day."

"And what day would that be?" he said getting annoyed slightly.

Wes put his arm around his partner. "The day, my friend, when you finally realized that maybe being a loner all your life isn't what you want anymore."

Eric had to admit that he had a point… in a way. "Shut up Wes," he said as he shrugged him off playfully.

Upstairs Taylor was in Jen's bathroom putting on a yellow dress shirt and black blazer to go with her pants.

"I don't know about you, but I don't see why we have to get dressed up for dinner," Jen said from inside her bedroom.

Taylor laughed. "How do you stand it? Being all…"

"Girlie?" Jen suggested. At that both woman laughed a little as Taylor emerged from the bathroom. Jen was dressed similar, with the exception of her wearing a skirt and pink blouse.

"So what's going on anyway?" Taylor asked as they descended the stairs.

"I honestly have no clue. All Wes said was that he wanted to have a nice dinner with a few friends… he has been acting a little weird lately though… like he's hiding something."

"Ah, ladies," Phillips said as he saw them enter. He carried over a tray of drinks to them, and Taylor was surprised to see that Eric had told them what she wanted. "The gentlemen are in the dining room." They thanked him and walked into the large dinging room where Wes and Eric were sitting.

When they entered, Wes stood up and motioned for Eric to do the same.

"This is a little too much for me," Taylor whispered to Jen.

"Tell me about it," she replied. As they sat, Mr. Collins joined them and they all had a wonderful dinner before retiring to the living room for dessert and coffee.

Eric was looking over at Wes anxiously and Taylor noticed it. "What's going on?" she whispered to him. Eric just took her hand.

"Just watch," he whispered into her ear, lightly kissing it before he pulled away. Taylor smiled a little and watched as Wes stood and faced Jen who was sitting on the couch.

"Wes, what are you…" Jen began, but was stopped short when Wes got down on one knee and took a ring box out of his pocket.

"Jennifer Scotts, will you marry me?" he asked her in front of his father, and friends.

Jen felt tears of joy in her eyes. "Yes!" she nearly cried as she hugged him. Eric, Taylor, and Mr. Collins began to clap as Wes placed the large pink diamond on her finger. "Oh Wes it's gorgeous!"

Eric took Taylor's hand and they went to congratulate the happy couple.

Later that night Eric drove Taylor back to her car at SGA headquarters. He parked the car and helped her out.

"Wow," Taylor said. "That was quite a night," she said. "You knew he was going to do that didn't you?"

"I had an idea," he replied. He was holding her hand and led her to her car.

"So I guess this is goodnight," she said as she leaned into him.

"I guess it is," he said as he leaned in and met her lips. They kissed gently for several minutes before Eric's hands began to roam to her breasts and then down her front towards her crotch.

Taylor placed her hands on his chest and gently moved him away from her. "I… I don't think," she began breathlessly.

He removed his hands and held her to him, kissing her neck and ear. "I'd wait forever for you," he said suddenly.

Taylor took the meaning of his words to heart and hoped that she wasn't imagining all this.

She kissed his lips and hugged him. "I'll hold you to that." She kissed his cheek and got into her car, driving away with a smile on her face.


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks that followed Wes and Jen's engagement were better than Eric could have imagined.

He and Taylor saw each other nearly everyday, and when they didn't, they talked on the phone. As much as he hated to admit it, Wes had been right. He didn't want to be alone anymore… and maybe Taylor was the one he was supposed to be with.

They had come to the mutual agreement a few days ago that they wouldn't see anyone else besides each other, and he had to admit that that was a good feeling to have.

One thing that he couldn't understand though was why Taylor was so… cautious. Sure they had fooled around a little, but that was it. Everytime they would get close, she would pull away or an attack would come up, or he was called away.

In laymen's terms, he was getting frustrated; he was human after all. Sure it was irritating, but the part that got to him the most was that Taylor wouldn't open up to him about it. She wasn't exactly the type to open up, but he thought she trusted him at least.

Hell, he told her his life story after a night at the bars. How his father walked out on him and his mother, then his mother passing away from cancer when he was fifteen. Then he met Wes in Prep School, dropped out, and began the commander of the Guardians. She didn't think he was a loser or a quitter, and he found his feelings for her grow.

After that night, and then the following morning when he woke up with her in his arms for the first time, he knew… he loved her. The way she looked, the way she fit perfectly to him, and the way she didn't judge… It all added up to it. He knew, at that moment, that he never wanted this feeling he had to end.

He wasn't the sentimental type at all, but around her… his icy, hard ass persona melted away.

Tonight they were going to hang out at his place, and maybe he could get her to open up to him. He gathered his things for the rest of the evening, and headed home.

In Turtle Cove, Taylor was packing her overnight bag. She had been spending almost every night with Eric and found that she liked it. Her teammates, too, saw a little change in their leader. She was happier than they had ever seen her.

Her battles were getting more and more frequent, and she was tired. It seemed like everyday they had a new Org to contend with, and it wore her out. She was frustrated with the way things were going… not only in her life as a ranger.

She knew she had to tell him why she was the way she was, but it was so hard.

Her past was just that; the past. She never wanted to relive it, but she knew she had to get it out in the open. Eric was so understanding with her, but she knew he was getting as annoyed as she was.

Taylor was angry with herself. She was supposed to be this strong, unafraid person. But there was one thing that made her afraid and she hated herself for thinking that Eric could bring all that fear to her.

She knew he wouldn't. He told her that he wouldn't. As much as she wanted him, she just couldn't get over her fear and that tore her up inside.

Glancing around her apartment, she gathered the rest of her things and walked out towards her car.

Eric was sitting in his living room when he saw Taylor's car pull in. He rose and greeted her at the door with a kiss. She sighed and shut the door.

"Hey," he said softly. Taylor looked at him. "What's wrong? You look beat." She went over to the couch and lay down.

"We had an interesting day today," she said as she closed her eyes. "We found out that Kite was really Animus and had our Zords taken away."

Eric sat down with her. "You what? Did you get them back?"

Taylor sighed as she felt his hands run through her hair. "Yeah, but we had to fight without them for a little while."

He gently rubbed her back and shoulders and she sighed contently. He leaned down and kissed her neck, causing her to turn in his arms, facing him. They joined their lips together and Taylor kissed his neck and earlobe, getting a very satisfied moan from him.

She gripped his shoulders as he kissed her neck and down the front of her shirt. As he made his way back up, he carefully lifted her shirt up, showing her black lace bra. Taylor felt his lips on her and she touched his face with her soft fingertips.

"Taylor," Eric got out as he kissed her. "Taylor I want you," he said almost desperately. Taylor's eyes flew open and she knew she wanted him too, but…

"Eric… I… I can't," she said. Eric groaned and placed his head on her chest frustrated. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. Taylor put her shirt back down and sat up.

"What is it, huh?" Eric asked. "I know I'd say I'd wait, but I think not knowing why you want to is making me nuts."

Taylor put her head in her hands. "It's not that easy," she said.

"What the hell are you hiding from me? What can be so hard for you to talk about?"

Taylor stood up and began to pace. She walked a little and placed her hands on her head. "Do you not trust me? What, you're afraid of me? Tell me already!" he cried angrily.

Taylor stopped and threw her arms down to her side. "Damn it Eric! I was raped!" she yelled.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the tears gathered and the room was deathly silent. The look on Eric's face changed and he knew he had done it.

"You want to know what I'm hiding _so_ badly? I'll fucking spell it out for you. My father died and my mom got involved with some asshole that raped her, raped me, and then killed her, alright? You happy now? You know my big secret."

She grabbed her bag and made her way to the door with her eyes spilling over with tears. She was mad. Mad at herself, and mad at him for forcing it out of her like this.

Eric shot up off the couch and held the door shut. He was enraged that someone would violate her like that, and he was disappointed in himself for making her feel threatened.

"Taylor, wait," he said.

The yellow ranger just stared at him with venom in her green eyes. "Wait around for what? You feel like getting anything else out of me?"

Eric sighed. "I never meant to do that and you know it."

"Oh I do? You didn't mean to provoke me like you always do? You always think you know everything about everyone, but guess what? This time you were wrong. You don't know shit about me."

"I know that you're pissed off and angry, but that's no way to help the situation."

"The situation? Which part? Me being raped, or being forced to talk about it?"

Eric closed his eyes as if he'd been struck. "You know I'd never force you to do anything."

Taylor composed herself a little and looked him straight in the eye. "Then don't force me to stay."

Eric backed down then and held the door for her. "Please don't do this," he said as she got through the door. "We can talk about this."

"I don't think there's anything to talk about right now," she said softly. She got into her car and drove back to Turtle Cove. She angrily wiped away the tears as she got closer to her apartment.

She knew she had been partially to blame, but he shouldn't have forced it out of her. She was going to tell him, but she was nervous.

Thoughts were swimming through her head as she turned towards her building. Tomorrow she would sit down with Alyssa and tell her everything. For once, she was glad to have someone to talk to.

They had talked about it a while ago, but it never really affected her and those around her until now. She found a spot and walked into her apartment, letting herself cry for the first time in years.

Back in Silver Hills, Eric was at a loss. He wasn't sure if he should be upset, angry, annoyed, or just plain pissed.

He was mad at himself, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was mad at her. She was upset, he understood that, but he was still confused as to why she wouldn't talk to him about it.

She needed time, and as much as he didn't want to, he would give it to her. What he had said before about waiting for her was true, and he'd give her as much time as she needed.

He loved her and would do everything in his power to let her know that and accept it in her own way.

Sitting in bed later that night, he wished he could take all her doubts and uncertainties away by holding her in his arms…


	5. Chapter 5

Alyssa sat with Taylor at the park and let her pour her heart out. They all had decided to head over there to regroup and just hang out after the ordeal with Animus a few days ago.

Taylor kept her composure through the whole thing, and Alyssa listened carefully to everything that she said. It sounded to her that they both had erred, but it was up to Taylor to start the lines of communication.

"What do I do? I mean, I've never been in this kind of situation before," Taylor said as she ran her hands through her hair.

"And what kind of situation would that be?" Alyssa asked gently.

Taylor sighed. She didn't want to say it, but she knew it was the only logical explanation she could think of.

"Oh God…" she said, almost not believing herself. "I… I think I love him Alyssa." After saying that, she felt her eyes begin to water, but stopped herself.

Alyssa saw that she was fighting something and put her arm around her. "It's not a bad thing Taylor. You're one of the lucky ones that's found the person you want to be with… whether you want to admit or not."

Taylor looked at the white ranger and gave her a smile. "So I'm supposed to go blubbering back to him like some damsel in distress, begging for his forgiveness?"

"I hardly think that that's your style. I know that if you go back to him, talk about it, and apologize for yelling, everything will be fine."

"I hope you're right," Taylor said as they went to join the others. 'Wow,' she thought as they walked over to the picnic table. 'I love Eric… maybe things won't be so bad after all.'

The Wildforce team sat around for most of the afternoon and they were ready to head back to the Animarium when a yellow SUV pulled in. Taylor looked and saw _'Lightspeed Rescue'_ written on it.

A man, not much older than she was, stepped out and introduced himself as Carter Grayson. He asked for Cole to go with him and the others just looked at him skeptically, but Cole assured them that he could be trusted.

"Where are you taking him?" Alyssa asked nervously. Taylor noticed her friend's demeanor and grinned.

"The NASADA space center. There was a distress call sent out to all red rangers," Carter said. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can tell you right now."

Cole looked back to his teammates, but his eyes were on Alyssa. "I'll be back," he said seriously. The others just watched him drive off.

"Well that was… interesting," Max said.

"Why only the red rangers? I mean, what's wrong with the black ones?" he asked as he and Max began to walk back.

Taylor just shook her head at the two, but turned her attention back to Alyssa, who was watching Cole drive away.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked. Alyssa just turned back to her and gave her a weak smile.

"I guess I'm going to have to be," she said. Taylor gave her an odd look and Alyssa smiled a little. "You're not the only one who thinks they're in love Taylor."

The yellow and white rangers walked back together towards Taylor's car where Max and Danny were waiting. Just as she was about to get in, a thought struck her…

"Oh God," she said. They all looked at her and saw a look of terror on her face.

"Taylor?" Danny asked.

Taylor fumbled for her keys. "Guys, would you mind walking back? I… I…"

"You need to get to Silver Hills," Alyssa said, realizing what was going on. Max and Danny just gave the girls a confused look. "We'll be fine," she said to Taylor.

Taylor sent her a thank you and headed off to see if her suspicions were correct, praying they weren't.

Eric was seated in his office when Wes walked in.

"We've got a situation," he said as he sat. Eric looked up at him with the same blank expression he had had for the past few days since he and Taylor had fought. He had thrown himself completely into his work and barely spoke.

Wes just looked at his best friend and sighed. He had never seen Eric so miserable. Maybe the news he had would bring back the old Eric.

"I received an urgent message from Tommy Oliver," he said as he placed a paper on the desk. Eric read it over and his eyes got wide.

"This is for real?" he asked in disbelief. Wes nodded his head.

"We leave for NASADA immediately. I already called Carter about Cole and he's going to pick him up and meet us there."

At the mention of Cole, Eric's stomach tossed. What had Taylor said to them about what happened?

He stood then and looked to Wes. "Let's go."

The ride to Angel Grove was passing by quickly as they sped down the roads in the SGA SUV.

Eric's mind was racing. What if he never made it back from this mission?

"Wes? When did you know?" he asked suddenly. Wes glanced at him for a moment before turning back to the road.

"Know what?" he asked.

Eric sighed. He knew it was going to come out sooner or later. "Knew you loved Jen?"

Taking another look at Eric, Wes saw something in his eyes and posture change… He knew about the fight he had had with Taylor, but he realized now why Eric was taking it so hard…

"Holy shit… you love Taylor don't you?"

Eric's lips curled into a small smile. "Yeah Wes… I do."

Wes's mouth literally dropped open and he almost choked on his words. "Wow," was all he got out. "So, what's the problem?"

Eric cracked his knuckles. "What happens if we don't make it back Wes? She's still pissed at me and I'm not sure if she'll forgive me. I just don't want to leave things the way they are."

"Then that's a no brainer. Call and tell her."

They got off the exit for Angel Grove and pulled to a rest area. Wes got out to get a drink, and Eric knew it was now or never…

He took his cell phone out and dialed the number he knew by heart.

Unfortunately, Taylor didn't pick up. Through some sort of strange technology, a voicemail system picked up on her growl phone.

'_Leave a message,_' was all it said, but Eric knew it was her voice.

"Shit…Taylor, it's me. I don't know if Cole's told you, but we're all going on this mission and I… well I don't know how it's going to go. I just want you to know…" he paused and took a deep breath. "I love you Taylor. I just… wanted you to know that." He cut the connection and leaned back in the seat as Wes got back in.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I either just did the best, or worst thing in my life." Wes just shook his head, and they continued down the road towards NASADA.

Taylor's breaks squealed as she parked in front of the SGA building. She ran inside and was stopped by her favorite receptionist.

"Where's Commander Meyers?" she asked breathlessly. The girl behind the desk grinned.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss, but without an appointment-"

"I don't have time for this!" she yelled. "Is he here or not?"

"Taylor?"

Taylor turned and saw Jen running towards her. "Jen… where's Eric?"

"He and Wes went to NASADA. I was going to call you," she said.

"Maybe Eric already did," she said as the idea struck her. Jen followed her out to her car where she found a message waiting for her.

Jen watched as Taylor's face fell and tears made their way silently down her cheeks…


	6. Chapter 6

"Three cheers for the rookie!" Jason said as he and the assorted red rangers celebrated their victory.

It had been a long journey, but it was successful and they were all anxiously awaiting their arrival home.

Eric stood off to the side and watched the stars float by. He hadn't talked to Cole about Taylor, and he thought it was best to keep things to himself… not get too personal.

Unfortunately, the others on the ship were talking about their personal lives and the women in them.

"I'm telling you man, when I first saw Kat I was like, wow," TJ said laughing. "I mean, tall, blonde, long legs-"

"Easy over there," Jason said. "That's my wife you're talking about." The others all laughed. "I bet she'd _love_ to hear you talking about her like that."

"Especially now man," Tommy put in.

At that, Eric turned his attention to the group. Wes, of course, was right in the middle of it.

"Why now?" Wes asked.

"Well, considering how's she's eight months pregnant, she's pretty moody," Jason finished.

"Boy or girl?" Wes asked.

Jason grinned. "One of each." Everyone in the group, except Tommy, gaped at him.

"You're serious?" Andros asked. Jason nodded.

There was a silence before Carter dropped a bomb. "Dana's pregnant too," he said sheepishly.

Leo, Eric, and Wes smiled. They had been to the wedding a few months ago.

"You don't waste any time do you?" Eric asked, finally joining the group. Carter blushed and received a little nudge from Leo.

Carter looked at Leo. "You're not far behind my friend."

Leo shut his mouth at that comment. Andros smiled. "Cassie told me you and Kendrix were thinking about it." Leo nodded his head. "I know Ashley and I wanted kids right away."

"How are my favorite little terrors?" TJ asked. Andros just smiled.

"Zhander and Ella are fine. Driving their mother crazy, but fine," he replied.

Eric couldn't take much more of this 'family talk.' His mind was racing. Did she get his message? What did she think of it? What would she think of him?

Cole nudged Wes. "Has he been spacing out like that a lot?" he asked.

Wes sighed. "Yeah… ever since he and Taylor had that fight."

"Taylor's been the same. I don't know exactly what happened, but she's been…upset. It's really not like her."

"I'm sure everything will be fine once we get back," he said.

"What about you guys?" Tommy asked. Eric, Wes, and Cole all turned their attention to their leader.

"What about us?" Eric shot back.

"Girls, man," TJ put in. "I know you guys have to have something waiting for you at home."

"Well, I'm engaged," Wes said.

"Jen?" Carter asked. Wes just nodded his head and everyone smiled. Eric really didn't want to talk about this, so he got up and walked out of the room.

"What's his problem?" Leo asked.

"The yellow ranger from my team," Cole said. After that comment was out, the guys ribbed Cole until he finally admitted that he liked Alyssa.

Wes left the playful conversation and went in search of his teammate. He found him in the meeting room staring at the Earth that was growing larger.

Eric knew Wes would follow him. "Wes, I really don't want to talk about this right now. As soon as we get back, I'm going over to talk to her alright?" he spat.

Wes grinned. "Just making sure," he said. He turned on his heel and left Eric with his thoughts. He would make this right… tonight.

A few hours later found the nine rangers back at NASADA. Tommy bid them farewell, and the eight remaining poked fun at each other before heading back in their respective vehicles.

Wes offered Cole a ride back with him and Eric, leaving Eric with no excuse as to why he couldn't talk to Taylor.

Eric drove and listened to Cole and Wes talk about everything under the sun. Frankly, he would have rather beaten his head in with a hammer, but he was glad for the distraction. Wes had made a phone call earlier, and Eric assumed he had spoken to Jen. Hopefully she had talked to Taylor and told her that they were okay.

They arrived at the Animarium as the sun set. Clouds were gathering, and an impending storm was heading their way. Cole and Eric got out and Wes walked around to the driver side, getting in.

"You're sure about this?" he asked of Eric.

The co-commander of the Silver Guardians smiled. "I'll let you know tomorrow," he said.

"There's another car around the corner for you if you need it. I called it in for you just in case," he said. Eric grinned as he turned and followed Cole through the portal.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," Cole said as they saw the stone lion in front of them.

The fire was burning brightly as they approached and Cole saw a familiar figure in a tank top and pink plaid pajama pants.

"Alyssa," he said softly. The figure by the fire turned at her name and smiled broadly.

"Cole! You're alright!" she said as she just about ran to him and grabbed him in a tight hug.

Cole just smiled and held her. Eric watched the scene and wondered where Taylor was. As Cole released her, his face sank.

Alyssa had a few small scratches on her otherwise flawless face, as well as a small bandage around her arm.

"What happened?" he asked as he gently touched her face. It was then that she saw Eric and her face fell.

"We… um, had an Org while you guys were away," she said softly.

Eric felt his heart stop for a moment when Alyssa looked at him.

"Where's Taylor?" he asked nervously. Alyssa saw his expression and knew she shouldn't sugar coat it…

"She's at her apartment… she was pretty banged up and said she wanted some time to herself."

"What happened? Alyssa, tell me!" he said desperately.

Cole held her waist and felt her shudder a little. "The Org had these… whips that he used… they burned." She showed her other arm and there was a clear, red line running from her armpit to her elbow. "Taylor took most of the hits, trying to protect us."

Somehow, Eric knew that that was something Taylor would have done.

"Are the others ok?" Cole asked.

"Danny and Max got hit in the head pretty bad, but they're sleeping now, and Merrick destroyed him with the Predazord," she said softly.

Eric looked to Cole and Alyssa. "Ok, well I'm glad you all are alright, but…"

"You need to go to her," Cole finished for him. Eric nodded and left them. Alyssa turned to Cole and smiled.

"He really loves her doesn't he?" she asked. Cole looked into her eyes,

"Yeah… he does." They leaned in then and shared their first, sweet kiss. When they broke away, Cole led her to the fire pit and told her about his adventure…


	7. Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Eric drove as fast as he could. He didn't care if he got stopped. He would do anything to make sure she was safe.

Somewhere along the way, rain began to fall, slowly at first, but then it picked up and thunder and lightning streaked across the sky. He could see her building in the distance and he drove faster.

The lights around him went out, as did the lights in the building, but he didn't care. He saw her car in the parking lot and was relieved a bit. He parked his car and ran up the stairs. There was a soft glow coming from her living room window.

Inside, Taylor lit what few candles she had and sank onto her couch. Her talk with Alyssa had helped her heal somewhat, but she knew she needed to trust herself and trust Eric in order for her pain and fears to go away completely.

Her heart raced as she thought of him. Had their mission gone well? When would he be getting back? And most importantly, did he really mean what he said?

She needed to see him, know that he was alive and well. She felt the need for him to hold her, and she was ready to let him do that and more. She sighed as Eric ran up the stairs outside.

He reached the door and began pounding. "Taylor! Taylor!" he cried.

Inside, Taylor heard the pounding on her door. The voice was unmistakable, and she opened the door.

Eric breezed in, placed his hand at the base of her neck and covered her lips with his with fiery passion. Taylor returned the kiss with everything she had and felt herself melt into him as his other arm made its way around her waist.

The rain poured down outside, but neither one of them cared. They were both safe, and in each other's arms…

Eric moved into the place a little more and shut the door behind him, still holding her to him, his tongue wrestling with hers.

After what seemed like an eternity of perfect bliss, they broke away and Eric saw the full extend of her injuries.

There were two small cuts on her right cheek, and another on her forehead. Her right hand was bound in white gauze, and her left forearm had another bandage wrapped around it.

Eric tenderly ran a hand along her face as she did the same to him.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly. "I'm sorry about everything I said to you. I never meant to force you. I never wanted to hurt you," he said as he kissed her forehead.

Taylor let out a relieved sigh and ran her thumb along his strong jaw. "I know… I'm sorry too. Everything came out wrong and-"

He silenced her with another small kiss and she knew that from here on out things would be different.

"Then you left that message and I thought you weren't coming back," she said.

"I got back to the Animarium and Alyssa said you were hurt… I had to make sure you were safe. I was so afraid I'd never be able to make things right," he said.

Taylor hugged him close and winced slightly. Eric pulled away and looked at her nervously. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

Taylor backed away and lifted her pajama top a little to show a thin red burn mark all the way across her well toned abdomen. Eric lowered himself down a bit to see the mark.

He moved in and gently kissed the scar that began near her navel and made it's way up to her sternum. As he went up the length of it, he slowly unbuttoned her shirt until only two buttons remained at the top.

Taylor felt all her senses ignite as his lips trailed her stomach. She ran her hands through his hair and heard him let out a small moan. Eric lifted his head back to hers and kissed her lips.

"Did you mean it?" she asked softly. "What you said in your message?"

Eric placed his hands on the top button of her shirt. "Of course I did," he said as he moved to her lips. He was millimeters from her and leaned over to her ear. "I love you Taylor." He kissed her earlobe and then made his way across her neck and back to her lips.

The kiss was soft and gentle and Taylor felt tears gather in her eyes. "Eric, I love you too," she whispered.

They kissed again then and all other thoughts left them. All they wanted was to know that the other was real… right in front of them.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly.

Taylor looked at him and saw all the love and devotion he had inside for her. She knew this was right…

"Yes," she said shakily.

"If there's anything you don't want me to do, tell me."

Eric carefully undid the final buttons on her top and pushed it back, kissing her shoulders as he saw the garment fall to the floor. Taylor allowed him access to her bare chest.

She felt his hands move from her shoulders to the dip between her breasts and saw the small smile he had on his lips. She reached out to him and unzipped his wet shirt. He let out a soft moan as he felt her warm hands on his cold chest, pushing his shirt off. It hit the floor with a small thud and they both smiled.

Taylor stared at his rippled, perfect chest and stomach and ran her hands all over the exposed skin. Never in her wildest dreams did she think he would look this good.

They both looked at each other and kissed with more tenderness than either one of them could have imagined.

Eric cupped her full breasts in his hands and massaged them softly, playing with the hard tips that met his fingers.

Taylor was in complete ecstasy as he touched her, and she reached down to his pants and unbuttoned them. They too fell to the floor with his boxers and he did the same to her, pushing her pants and undergarments down, kissing as he went.

Their lips met again and this time, Eric picked her up, feeling her naked body against his. Taylor wrapped her legs around him as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom.

Taylor kissed his shoulders and wrapped her legs tighter around him as she felt her need for him rising.

Eric reached the room and lowered both he and Taylor onto the bed. They rolled until Taylor was on top of him, and their hands continued to roam.

Her hands reached his most sensitive spot and she began to run her hand over his length slowly. Eric's fingers found her warmth and dipped in, gently moving in wave like motions. Both were panting by now and Eric couldn't take it anymore.

Taylor knew his need and reached over to her nightstand, retrieving a foil package from a container she had stashed in case something like this happened. She took out the condom and slipped it over his aching erection.

"You were planning on this?" he asked out of breath.

"Never can be too careful," she replied. Eric grinned and picked her up, placing her down onto him.

The sigh that escaped her lips was of pure pleasure as he filled her. Eric felt her wrap around him and thought he would lose it right then.

Ever so slowly, he moved her up and down on him while their kisses became erratic.

Taylor threw her head back as she felt him hit a sweet spot, and her obvious pleasure caused Eric to continue his labors. They moved fluidly for a few moments before they both tumbled to the bed with Eric on top.

He pulled himself out almost all the way and them plunged back in again. Taylor gripped the bed sheets and found his lips at last. Never before in her wildest dreams did she think that this could feel so good.

They made love like that long into the night until Taylor felt her climax hit with more force than she could have ever imagined.

She cried out happily as she felt her orgasm rip through her. Eric pounded into her and felt her contract around him. Moments later he felt his own senses explode and spilled himself.

He collapsed onto her and Taylor welcomed his weight.

He was alive, real, and with her.

Eric rolled off of her and held her close, never wanting to let her go.

"I'm glad you're back," she said breathlessly.

"I'm not just back… I'm home," he said softly. Both knew what his words meant, and for the first time in months, they both felt like they belonged.


	8. Chapter 8

The storm passed during the night and Taylor woke up to warm sunlight coming through her window. She closed her eyes again and readjusted herself on her pillow.

Her eyes opened when she realized that her pillow was Eric.

A sleepy smile formed on her lips as she recalled the previous night and how it exceeded all her expectations.

He had been so gentle and loving with her, and as the night progressed, so did their lovemaking. Eric had made love to her several more times that night and each time Taylor found that it wasn't nearly as scary as she thought it would be.

Her past experience with it was horrible and should never have happened, but Eric had showed her what sex was really about… love. Her body ached a little, but she welcomed the pain their activities had brought her.

Her injuries from the battle yesterday were still somewhat fresh, but he had been careful and mindful of them. She sighed as she laid her head against his broad chest again, and felt his hand embedded in her hair move slightly.

She kissed his tanned skin lightly and felt him jerk a bit. He let out a groan and squinted his eyes open.

The sight he saw made him smile. Taylor was looking at him with sleep filled eyes smiling. He lightly flexed his fingers in her hair and brought her to kiss him lightly.

"Good morning," he said softly.

"Morning," she replied.

"Ho do you feel?" he asked.

Taylor ran her finger long his chest. "I feel… free," she said at last. Eric pulled her to him and held her tight, still caressing her hair and back.

He smiled and kissed her crown. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently. Taylor knew what he was talking about and figured now was as good a time as any to tell him what happened.

She held him tighter. "My dad died when I was five in a car accident… mom and I moved out here when I was twelve and about a year later and she met Stan." Eric felt her tremble a little and he rubbed her back lovingly. "It was about four weeks later that he started abusing her… I caught him doing it one night and he… he turned on me."

"If you want to stop," Eric said gently. Taylor shook her head.

"No… I want you to know. I don't want to hide anything from you anymore… My mom fought him off and he knocked her out… after that he turned on me… then when he was done, he tossed me aside and went after my mom. I ran over to a neighbor's house and they called the cops, but by the time they got there… she was gone."

Eric thought he felt tears on his chest, but when Taylor propped herself up to look at him her eyes were empty.

"Did they ever catch him?"

Taylor let out a small smile. "Yeah… I had been in foster care for about a year before they caught him."

"Where is he now?"

"He's in a maximum security prison back east somewhere. They found out he killed four other women besides my mom…" she trailed off and Eric wasn't about to push it.

"I'm so sorry," he said as he rolled onto his side with her still somewhat on him.

"Me too," she said. Her tears wouldn't fall, and for the first time in many years, she truly felt safe.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"You already did plenty," she said, kissing his lips. Eric took this as an invitation and kissed her deeper. They pulled away and Taylor looked into his brown eyes. "Thank you for being my first," she said shyly.

Eric tenderly stroked her face. "I always aim to please." He kissed her and rolled on top of her.

This time, Taylor wasn't afraid. She was more than willing to let him have her body. Eric kissed the scratch on her cheek and she smiled.

"I think I'll take today off," Eric said as he kissed her neck and made his way down her body.

Taylor laughed. "Well, I guess hell has frozen over at last." Eric just grinned and continued his sweet torture on her body.

"I plan on staying in this bed all day, working on you." He kissed her again and they didn't speak again for several hours…

It was evening when Eric finally emerged from bed, leaving a sleeping Taylor. He put his pants on and went to check his messages.

Just as he thought, there were several from Wes, wondering where he was. Sighing, he dialed his number.

"Eric? Are you alive or did she kill you?" Wes asked. Jen was by his side back at the Collins' mansion.

"Easy partner… she didn't kill me," he said. "I stayed over here last night and decided to take a day off."

"Wait. Hold on. You're still there?"

"Yes Wes I'm still here."

"Where's Taylor?"

"Sleeping," he said. He was sick of playing twenty questions with Wes.

"So is it safe to assume you guys made up?"

Eric sighed. "Yes Wes."

"Is it safe to say you made up more than once?" Eric heard Jen slap his arm and he smiled.

"That's none of your business… I'll be in tomorrow morning and that's the end of it. Got it?"

"Yes sir Commander," Wes said laughing. "Have fun man." Eric hung up and turned to see Taylor coming down the hallway wearing a robe.

"Hey," she said fixing her hair. "What time is it?" Her eyes widened when she saw him standing in nothing but his pants. She gulped a little and blushed.

"Around six I think," he said as he walked over to her and held her. Taylor put her arms around his neck.

"Wow… I guess time really does fly when you're having fun," she said. Her stomach growled and Eric grinned.

"Guess I wore you out." As he said that his stomach did the same.

"I could say the same thing," she replied.

She kissed his cheek and went to grab a takeout menu…

Several Chinese food containers and a few drinks later saw them on the couch sitting in each other's arms.

"You never told me how your mission went," she said.

"It went great. Cole actually saved the day I guess… He flew right into that thing's mouth and blew it up using its own weapon."

"Wow. The others must have been happy," she said. "How were they anyway? Besides you guys, we haven't met any other rangers."

Eric then told her about Jason, Tommy, Aurico, TJ, Andros, Leo, and Carter. He told her about their families and smiled.

"Oh yeah. Wes and Jen set a date for their wedding… they want to have it a month from next Friday."

Taylor sat up. "Isn't that a little soon? Is there… you know… any reason? Like is Jen…" she motioned with her hands forming a hump over her belly.

"Pregnant? Geeze I never even thought about that. I don't think so," he said nervously. Maybe he should ask Wes…

That got his mind thinking. "Do you want kids someday?"

Taylor took in a breath. "Yeah… I guess," she said as she took a sip of her drink.

Eric grinned. "I want four." Taylor nearly choked.

"Four?" she questioned. "Who the hell are you going to find that's going to go through childbirth four times with something of yours?" she asked grinning.

"Oh, I dunno. Probably some chick off the street who's looking for a good lay."

"Who said you were any good in bed?" She was testing him now and he knew it.

"Well, if you need convincing…" He leaned in, catching her lips with his and carried her back to the bedroom…


	9. Chapter 9

HI EVERYONE! I'M GLAD THAT MOST OF YOU LIKE THE LAST CHAPTER. THIS STORY HAS 20 CHAPTERS IN TOTAL, AND THE SECOND PART IS ALMOST FINISHED!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK THIS STORY ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE AND THAT IT'S CLICHE CAN STOP READING IT. WHILE I DO ENJOY SUGGESTIONS, TELLING ME THAT MY STORY HAS NO REAL FEELING IS NOT VERY NICE.

I HOPE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE READING THIS ENJOY THE REST. PLEASE R&R!

* * *

One Month Later…

"Do you, Wesley Alan Collins, take Jennifer Marie Scotts to be your wife?"

Wes looked at Jen. "You bet I do," he said. That caused some light laughter from the crowd and Jen just smirked.

The minister then looked to Jen. "Do you Jennifer Marie Scotts, take Wesley Alan Collins to be your husband?"

Jen looked at Wes, and caught Eric behind him mouthing 'No!' Eric looked over Jen's shoulder and saw Taylor shooting him a death glare. Eric stopped and smiled at Jen, and she continued.

"I do," she said smiling. The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur for Eric. He couldn't believe that it was finally happening… Taylor was wearing a dress.

Sure the wedding was an added bonus, but all he could think about was how gorgeous she looked standing behind Jen as her maid of honor.

Wes had asked him to be the best man, and as much as he hated wearing a tux, he was more than happy to stand up for his best friend.

The crowd was filled with several friends from their from their ranger days… Tommy was there alone, while Jason was there with Kat who looked amazing for having twins only a month earlier. Cole, Alyssa, Danny, Max, and even Merrick and Shayla were there, as well as Carter and Dana. TJ was with his fiancé, Cassie Chan, and Andros was there with Ashley on his arm.

Eric snapped back to attention when Wes and Jen kissed and headed down the isle. Taylor walked over to him in her floor length champagne colored dress and he offered her his arm.

Taylor took it and they followed the newlyweds.

Later, Wes had arranged for all the former rangers to be seated at the same table.

"Who knew all these people would be here!" Max said.

"I bet Wes doesn't even know half of them," Eric put in. Taylor lightly smacked his arm.

"Oh come on," she said. "I'm sure he at least knows… some of them."

"You would think that wouldn't you?" Eric challenged to her.

Kat just grinned. "So, how long have you two been married?" she asked. Eric nearly choked on his drink.

"Us?" he said motioning between him and Taylor. "Married?" he asked shocked.

"We're not married," Taylor said. Kat blushed a little.

"I'm sorry… it's just that you both act like you are," she said. Jason slipped an arm around her.

"Why not?" came a somewhat inaudible question. Taylor glared at Max who was trying to cover his comment.

Taylor squirmed a little. She and Eric acted like they were married? Where did that come from?

Tommy saw both she and Eric's discomfort. "So, Jase how are my favorite niece and nephew?" he asked. Taylor and Eric both breathed a little easier when the conversation turned to the assorted ranger offspring.

Jason and Kat seemed to be bursting with pride at the mention of their children. Kat talked mostly to Ashley about her newborns, Austin and Zoë, while Ashley gave her some advice on her own kids.

Eric was sweating a little and decided to get some air. Taylor saw him leave and decided to follow him.

The wedding reception was in the Collins' backyard, so finding him shouldn't be too hard.

Looking around she saw the solitary figure sitting on a stone bench. He seemed to be saying something to himself…

Eric sat and put his head in his hands. 'Do I really want to do this?' he thought to himself. 'If Kat was serious, then maybe this'll work out.'

"Hey," Taylor said as she sat next to him. Eric's head snapped up at hearing her voice. Was it just her, or did he seem… nervous?

"Hi," he said as he looked at her. She was easily the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. Not just tonight, but everyday that he saw her. They had been together now for nearly eight months, and he knew he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life… but was it too soon?

"Hello? Earth to Eric? You in there?" she asked gently. She took his face in her palm. "Where'd you go? You were a million miles away just then."

Eric touched her hand with his and brought it to his lips. "I'm fine. I just needed some air."

Taylor smiled weakly at him. She had something she had wanted to talk to him about, and after what Kat had said… it got her wondering how he would feel after she told him what she had to do.

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, and I guess now's as good a time as ever," she said.

"I don't like where this is going," he said jokingly. Taylor didn't smile though.

"You know we defeated the last of the Orgs?" Eric nodded. "Well, since we're through being rangers… we need to go back to our everyday lives."

It was then that Eric understood. "Meaning you need to go back to the Force," he said softly. He knew this was coming eventually. "So you're going back to Seabrook," he stated.

Seabrook was the next town over from Turtle Cove. On some maps it was so close that people actually thought it was one city. It wasn't that far away from Silver Hills, but neither one of them wanted to be parted.

Taylor nodded her head. "Yeah… meaning that I have to move back on base for a little while. Until I finish out my contract."

The two of them stayed there in silence for a while before Eric spoke. "Do you want to go back?"

"In a way, but then again I want to be here with my friends… with you. I know that sounded totally corny, but-"

Eric leaned over and kissed her gently. "It's not corny. I actually think you're developing a soft spot for me." Taylor grinned and kissed him again.

"And I think you're starting to sound like Wes," she said grinning. Eric groaned.

"Anything but that," he said as he leaned his forehead against hers. "When would you have to leave?"

"As soon as I can. I'd be surprised if they haven't already considered me a deserter."

"If you have any problems, I'll just put in a call and tell them you were working undercover for us."

"You'd do that?" she asked.

"Of course I would. I'd rather have you home with me, but I know you want to finish what you started."

Taylor smiled and kissed his forehead. Eric got to his feet and helped her to stand. "Come on. They probably think we ran away," he said. He took her hand and led her back inside…

A week had passed and Eric was sitting in his office when a cadet came running in. "There's trouble in Turtle Cove. The TCPD needs backup. Something about an island dropping out of the sky. There's a monster on the loose," he said breathlessly.

"Get the troops together and head out immediately," he ordered. The cadet did as he was told. His heart was pounding. The Animarium… Taylor… he grabbed his things and ran.

In Turtle Cove, the Wildforce rangers were facing their worst foe yet… Master Org himself.

The rain poured down and Taylor felt every ounce of her strength slowly slipping away. Their zord crystals had been destroyed and it seemed as though they were defeated. She had cried then… it was like a part of her had been torn out and shattered.

Her mind was swimming as she stood with her teammates on the rooftop over looking their once beautiful city. The dismal sight was enough to make her want to cry. Her eagle zord was gone, but she knew they couldn't give up.

One by one they called on their ancient animals in a desperate attempt to stand up to the powerful Org.

In the distance Taylor could see flashing lights and thought of Eric… she had to get through this. She couldn't let this thing defeat her and destroy those she cared about most in the world.

Then, out of the darkness came a light, or rather six lights… their zords came back! ALL of them.

Within a matter of moments, the forces of the earth destroyed Master Org once and for all. The rangers all cheered as they saw the heart disintegrate, and saw the Animarium go back to its rightful place in the sky.

Taylor took her team down to the ground to make sure everyone was alright. She saw a red beret out of the corner of her eye and her heart stopped.

"Eric!" she called.

Eric heard his name and turned. Taylor was dripping wet and he instantly wanted to hold her.

He ran to her and she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around him. They clung to each other as if for dear life.

Cole saw the happy scene and turned to see Alyssa crying. "It's over," she said. Cole took her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried tears of joy as he comforted her.

Eric kissed Taylor's cheek and saw the state she was in. "Are you ok? There's an ambulance over there," he said. Taylor just hung onto him and he welcomed her weight in his arms.

"I'm fine… now," she said as he looked at him. Eric saw tears in her eyes and kissed her gently. Everything was finally over…

"Marry me," he said. Taylor looked at him and smiled wide. It may have been a little sooner than expected, but she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

"What, no ring?" she asked as she let more tears flow. She lowered her legs to the ground and looked into his eyes.

"I'm serious Taylor." He pushed her wet hair back and she saw the truth and almost desperation in his eyes.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "Yes!"

Eric picked her up and spun her in the air, kissing her on the lips. The world was safe for now, and a whole new world was being created…


	10. Chapter 10

Taylor watched as Princess Shayla disappeared from her sight in a flash. The others around her had tears in their eyes, just as she did. Their mission was complete… that was all there was to it.

The Wildforce team all turned and stepped through the portal that brought them back down to the Earth.

The night before, they had already said their goodbyes to each other, and told everyone what they planned to do.

Danny and Max were off to see the world, while Merrick was going to wander around until he found whatever it was he felt he needed to find. Alyssa would finish school, and Cole was going to work at an animal shelter in Turtle Cove.

As for Taylor… all she wanted to do was get back and see Eric. She knew she would have to go back to the Force. There was no use in delaying the inevitable. In truth, she missed flying with her squadron.

Hugs went around and a few tears were shed as they all went their separate ways. Taylor got in her car and drove straight to Silver Hills. She was engaged now… that thought in itself made her smile.

She had a fiancé to come back to when she was through with the Force. Everything would work out.

Eric's house came into view and she saw his SUV in the driveway. 'He must have had a long night,' she thought to herself.

After she and the others had completed their task, and after Eric's surprise proposal, he had pretty much ordered her to go rest with her team. He and the Guardians stayed and helped with the clean up effort.

Parking her car, she used the key he had given her to let herself in. "Eric?" she called softly. All the lights were off and she walked through the house.

It was late, and she thought that maybe he had gone for a run as he sometimes did, but as she walked down the hall, she heard soft snoring coming from the bedroom.

She walked in and sure enough, Eric was lying on his stomach fast asleep.

In all truth, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up with him. She stripped down to her underwear and a t-shirt and decided that he needed to be woken up…

Carefully, she straddled his body, sitting on his thighs. Eric let out a small grunt and she grinned as her fingers pressed into his bare back in an attempt to relax him.

Eric felt her fingers working and had no intention of stopping her. He was so sore and tired… this was just what he needed.

"Are you awake yet?" she asked as she leaned down to him, kissing his neck.

"No," he mumbled back. Taylor stopped kissing him momentarily. "Don't stop doing that," he said softly. Taylor just grinned and kissed her way across his shoulder blades.

"I was thinking," she began.

"Uh oh," Eric said smiling a little. Taylor stopped her kissing, but kept massaging his shoulders.

"Where are we going to live?"

Eric's sleep clouded brain finally cleared and he remembered that he had proposed to her yesterday in the aftermath of everything that happened. It had been on his mind ever since they had gotten back together.

He was ready to ask her at Wes and Jen's wedding, but he decided that when he knew it was right, it would just come out the way it did.

In one swift movement, he turned himself onto his back, with Taylor now straddling him while facing him. He put his hands on her hips and moved her up a little.

Taylor grinned as she felt him underneath her. He playfully pushed his pelvis up and she grinned devilishly.

"Eric… I'm serious."

"So am I," he said as he gripped her hips a little tighter. Taylor just smiled and placed her hands on his chest. It was then that Eric remembered that he had something for her. She watched as he moved a little to grab something off the nightstand.

Eric found the small box he was looking for and turned back to her. He opened the box and Taylor, for the first time in her life, was speechless. In front of her was a princess cut, flawless diamond set in an engraved platinum band,

Eric saw her face. "Is this good enough for you?" he asked as he placed it on the tip of her finger.

"I… I…" she stammered. Eric just smiled and slipped it on fully.

"Taylor… will you marry me?" he asked as he looked into her eyes.

She smiled and looked at her ring and then back to Eric. "Yes," she said as she leaned down, hovering inches from his face. "I'll marry you."

Eric grinned and pulled her down onto him fully and kissed her. His tongue gently probed her mouth and she pulsed hers back against his. Everything was finally falling into place.

They broke apart and Eric ran his fingers through her silky hair. "You're sure about this?" he asked.

Taylor just smiled and placed her hands on his cheeks, kissing him passionately. Eric responded to her kiss and wrapped his arms around her, tugging her shirt off over her head.

She sat up and he just took all of her in. She was his… and was going to be for the rest of his life. Taylor saw the sort of dreamy look in his eyes and could only guess that hers looked much the same. He was absolutely perfect for her in more ways than she could have ever thought.

Eric caressed her sides and she sighed softly. "Of course I'm sure about marrying you. I don't think I've ever been more sure about anything before."

That was the answer he needed to hear. "I feel the same way you know," he said. Taylor laughed.

"Then I guess we finally agree on something," she said. "You never did answer my question before."

"What question was that exactly?" he asked as she lay half on top of him, their chests touching.

"Where are we going to live?"

Eric gave her a questioning look. "What's wrong with this?"

"Well, if you want that small army of kids we're going to need a bigger place… plus I think that this…" she said indicating to her ring, "…cost enough for a down payment."

Eric smiled at that. "Actually, it wasn't _that_ expensive," he said.

"It's fake then, right?" she asked playfully.

Eric shook his head and took her left hand in his, looking at the ring. "It was my grandmother's. She and my grandfather were married for fifty-two years… I thought maybe it would bring us some good luck. After the shit we've been through in the past two years, I'd say we need it."

Taylor leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll treasure it always," she whispered. Eric saw the look of longing in her eyes and knew he wanted to ease the pain as much as she did.

He lay on his back again with her on top. She carefully removed her underwear, and he his boxers. Taylor leaned down onto his chest and he kissed her neck, and then her chest as she arched her back.

She grabbed him and began stroking almost painfully slow for Eric. He reached down and eased his fingers into her, playing with her softness and she increased her efforts on him. Their lips met and released as they felt the pleasure the other was giving.

Taylor couldn't take it much more. She let go of him and removed his hand. Eric smiled as she moved over slightly and retrieved a condom from his dresser. She placed it on him, smiling as she rose up and lowered herself down onto him, joining them in the most intimate way.

Eric gripped her hips and together, they moved her up and down on him in languorous strokes. They both were panting and sweating, but that was the last thing on their minds at the moment.

Taylor felt a shudder run through her as she felt her climax approaching. Eric gripped her hips hard as he came, but he kept pumping until later Taylor followed him.

They both collapsed, exhausted, onto the bed. Taylor smiled and was laughing a little.

"What's… so… funny?" Eric asked between breaths.

"Wes is going to give you so much shit when he finds out we're engaged."

Eric turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Not as much as Alyssa and the others are going to give you." Taylor had to admit that he had a point. She rolled into him, his arms wrapping around her.

"We're just going to have to wait and see what happens," she said as she closed her eyes. Eric kissed her forehead and closed his as well.

Neither one of them realized that the future had more in store for them than they thought…


	11. Chapter 11

Two weeks passed by peacefully for the newly engaged couple.

Every one of their friends were overjoyed to hear that they were finally together for good. Wes especially.

Taylor had called her recruiter and had used Eric's story of her working undercover for the Guardians. Being so close to Turtle Cove, the recruiter knew of the recent Org attacks and bought her story.

Taylor was scheduled to leave for the base in the morning, and at the moment she was at the park, sitting with Alyssa and Jen as they watched Cole, Wes, Eric, Danny, and Max play football.

"Max and Danny are heading off to see the world," Alyssa said.

"They always do everything together don't they?" Jen asked.

Taylor grinned. "They're best friends. I mean, who wouldn't want to travel around the world with their partner in crime?"

Jen smirked. "I remember Katie and I went to Paris once. Man did we cause trouble."

"You? Miss straight laced, no fun?" Taylor asked. Jen stuck her tongue out at her.

"I think the guys had a good effect on me… helping me to lighten up," she said.

Alyssa smiled. "I wish we could do something like that Taylor," she said. "But you're leaving…" The white ranger got quiet after that and Taylor sighed.

"I have nine months of service left, then I'm free to go," she replied.

They turned their attention to the guys when they heard Wes celebrating a touchdown. Eric cheered with him and the girls all laughed.

"I bet you're glad Cole's staying here," Jen said to Alyssa. Alyssa just grinned and smiled at her boyfriend.

Taylor watched Eric as he ran around like a kid and though she didn't realize it, tears gathered in her eyes. She was going to miss him to no end while she was away.

"Taylor?"

She turned her head back to Jen. "Huh?" she asked.

"I asked when you guys were planning on getting married?" Taylor smiled and looked at her ring.

"We were thinking after I finish my service. It'll give us time to plan and get settled," she said. Jen smiled, but her face contorted slightly, and for a minute Taylor thought she was going to be sick.

"Are you alright?" Alyssa asked.

Jen smiled slightly and looked at the girls. "Yeah… I've just been getting nauseous a lot lately… it kind of comes with the territory."

Taylor's eyes widened. "You're not?" she asked shocked. Jen shook her head in confirmation.

"Oh Jen! You're pregnant! That's so great!" Alyssa said. "Congratulations!"

Jen just smiled happily. "Thanks… I'm not that far along, maybe six or so weeks, but yeah."

"What did Wes have to say?" Taylor asked.

"He was so excited…" she blushed a little. "I think it happened before the wedding," she replied sheepishly.

Taylor felt Eric's lips on her cheek and his arms around her.

"You're all sweaty!" she cried. Eric leaned in and kissed her neck, causing his sweat to get all over her.

Eric sat next to her and pulled her to him. "Yeah, but you like it," he said.

The rest of the group just laughed at the banter, and relaxed in the late afternoon sun. Jen and Wes officially announced they were expecting and everyone was thrilled. The remainder of the time was spent reminiscing, and Taylor couldn't have asked for a better sendoff.

As the sun set, everyone left until only Eric and Taylor remained. Eric sat with his back against a tree with Taylor sitting between his legs. They just sat there, taking in the comfort of each other as they watched the sky change.

A plane flew overhead and Taylor smiled. "It'll be good to fly again. I really miss it," she said softly.

Eric kissed her neck and she sighed contently, leaning back into him. His arms tightened around her. "I love you," he whispered.

Taylor turned her head and kissed him. "You're really going to miss me aren't you?" she asked.

"No. What would give you that idea?" he asked smiling. Taylor knew that sentiments were hard for him and that her leaving was even harder.

They just sat there and held each other until it was time to head back. Taylor had run out the lease on her apartment and moved in with him. Eric said he was going to look for a new place while she was gone.

That night, as they lay in bed together, Eric held her and gently rubbed her back, lulling her to sleep. She was everything to him… the only person he had in the world… and she was leaving him.

Sure she was only a car ride away, but it would never compensate for holding her naked body against his like he was doing now.

He laid a feathered kiss to her forehead and felt her move slightly. She was a relatively light sleeper and he always hated when he woke her. She cuddled closer to him and he smiled.

Something in his heart and in his head told him that something wasn't right. Something told him that Taylor was in danger.

He looked at her and saw her open her eyes slowly. "Are you scared?" she whispered.

"How did you know?" he asked back.

"I'm not sure… I just… felt it." They both knew at that moment that there was more to their relationship than they thought… a deeper, soulful connection…

Eric leaned in and kissed her with all the passion that was in his body. Taylor immediately responded to him, and just like that they joined together, almost desperately, never wanting to be parted.

Taylor was on her back as Eric slowly and gently moved within her. Their lips never left each other as they continued until the first rays of sunlight began to show. Their orgasms came at once and they descended back to Earth, both with tears in their eyes.

They held each other as they fell asleep for the last few precious hours they had left…

A few hours later, Eric pulled up to the gate of the Seabrook Air Force Base. Taylor got out and grabbed her duffle from the backseat. When she turned back to the car, Eric was standing there with a letter in hand.

"I don't want you to open this until you're settled," he said as he handed it to her.

Taylor took it and placed it into the breast pocket of her dress uniform. She threw herself literally at him and he held her tight.

"I love you Eric… remember that," she whispered.

"I love you… always Earhardt," he replied back. He cupped her cheek and kissed her soundly. He knew he had to make this as painless as possible.

He pulled away quickly and turned on his heal back to the SUV. Taylor knew why he was doing what he was, and she was, in a way, thankful for it.

She turned towards the gate, took one last look at her ring, and went to the guards…


	12. Chapter 12

Nine months later…

Taylor shifted uneasily in her bunk. It was nearly midnight and her mind was spinning.

She had received her weekly mail, and that was part of why she couldn't sleep. Alyssa had sent her a letter telling her all about her new class and how they loved hearing about the Wildforce Rangers.

Cole's letter had been a little more interesting… he was wondering if he should ask Alyssa to marry him. At first she had been shocked. Taylor knew that in their hearts they both knew they were meant to be together.

She received another from Jen and Wes in regards to their baby. Jen was pleased to announce that they were the proud parents of a healthy little boy, Alec Wesley Collins.

A postcard from Danny and Max from Mexico made her grin, and she was pleased to find out that they were heading for New York next.

Then there was Eric's letter… The first one he had given her the day she returned had brought her to tears.

'_Dear Taylor,_

_This will be the first of my letters. I'm not big on letter writing, but I figured you're not around to make fun off my handwriting or bad grammar… Watching you walk away was the hardest thing I think I've had to do, and I'm counting the days until you return to my arms. _

_I love you and admire you for doing this. I know it'll be hard for a while, but I'll be waiting…_

_Love Always,_

_Eric'_

Every letter he sent was much of the same, and each time it made her miss him all the more.

Her squad had grilled her somewhat about being away for so long, and she had taken it in stride and played it off. Her first day back had been interesting…

As she was flying her plane, a familiar friend joined her in the skies and her Eagle Zord had flown with her everyday since.

It was good to know that she still had it in her life. When she thought she had lost him it nearly destroyed her. But everything had somehow worked out and she couldn't have been happier.

"Hey Earhardt."

Taylor looked up and saw her bunkmate Teresa walk over with two cups.

"Figured you couldn't sleep either so I got us something to help," she replied. Taylor smiled at her and took the cup of tea.

"Thanks," she replied. Teresa was another Lieutenant and they had hit it off instantly. A grin spread across Teresa's face.

"I meant to comment you on your rock," she said referring to the ring Taylor wore on her hand; she would only wear it at night, so not to damage it during the day.

"Yeah… thanks," she replied. "It was Eric's grandmother's."

"I've heard quite a bit about this Meyers guy. My sister lives in Silver Hills and said he's pretty hot." Taylor just grinned.

The two women stayed up for a few more minutes until they knew they had to get some rest. Wake up call was at 5 AM and breakfast right after with training beginning at 6. Taylor curled up with her pillow and closed her eyes…

Taylor woke as usual to the sound of trumpets and felt an overwhelming sense of danger. She bolted out of bed and as she took a quick shower, she couldn't shake the feeling.

Teresa was already at the mess hall when Taylor arrived. "Hey, you look tweaked," she replied. Taylor just shrugged as they gathered their food. They sat down at a table as the other cadets filled the hall.

"I just have this strange feeling… like something's about to happen," Taylor got out.

A few minutes later, their commanding officer, Captain Connors, entered and all the personnel in the room stood at attention. He stood on a raised platform and held his hands behind his back.

"As of oh seven hundred hours, the base will be on a lock down," he said. Everyone instantly grew nervous and Taylor knew that her senses had been right. "There's been talk of hostile activity overseas, and all bases are being put on lockdown until we're sure that none of them are in danger. We have orders to ship out immediately if necessary. All lieutenants and senior officers are to report to a debriefing meeting at oh seven thirty."

With that, he left and everyone began speculating what was going to happen. They had known that attacks overseas had been getting worse, but they never thought they would be in danger. As soon as she had finished her breakfast, she and Teresa headed for the meeting.

About and hour later, Taylor was standing on the ladder of her plane. She would always come out here to think. The Captain had said to prepare for departure, and she had been dreading those words since she came back. They would be shipping out to Virginia in order to help a sister base of theirs in three days.

Taylor only had a few more weeks of active service, but she refused to leave her squad and the rest of her fellow pilots. Since they were shipping out in less than a week, all those leaving were given time to spend with their families before they departed.

She had contacted Eric and told him about everything, and he was on his way to get her before the end of the day. She sighed, grabbed a few things out of her cockpit and went to get ready.

She waited impatiently for Eric just insides the gates. Others were with her, awaiting their loved ones to pick them up.

"Earhardt!"

She turned and saw one of the guardsmen waiving her forward. She saluted him and saw Eric leaning against his car. As soon as he saw her, he saw the sadness in her eyes and wanted to take it away.

After hesitating for a moment, Taylor broke into a half run and dropped her duffel as she flung her arms around Eric's neck.

Eric just held her firmly and kissed her neck. Taylor broke away a little and their lips met and held for several seconds. When they broke away, Eric grabbed her duffel, but kept one arm around her waist.

Without words, they got into the SUV and headed back to Silver Hills.

Taylor reached out and placed her hand on his leg as he drove. "I know you're angry," she said.

Eric reached down and held her hand in his. "I'm not angry at you. This whole thing… everything that's happened and everything that's going to happen… I just don't understand it."

Taylor sighed. "Neither do I, but we have a duty to our country."

"When are you leaving?" he asked.

"We have to be back on base in two days. We ship out a few days after we get back," she replied as she squeezed his hand. "I'll be fine, Eric. We're just going over there to make sure they have enough artillery and bodies."

"And what if they don't? What will happen then?" Taylor heard the angry tone in his voice and knew that this conversation was going to get worse before it got better.

"Then we go where they go. If they get shipped overseas then we do too."

Eric released her hand and gripped the steering wheel. "It's not fair that they don't let you go. For God Sakes you only had three weeks left!" he yelled.

Taylor looked at him in disbelief. "They did Eric, but I CHOSE to stick it out," she fired back.

This time it was Eric who was shocked. "They gave you the option to go and you didn't take it? Why not? You realize you could be home, SAFE with me."

It was then that Taylor understood why he was angry. She reached her hand out again and placed it on his shoulder lightly.

"Eric," she said softly. "I'm scared too." She felt Eric loosen a bit. "But you should know that once I have my mind made up, there's no going back."

He sighed and brought his hand down and touched hers again. "You are the most insufferable woman on the planet," he said. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. At that moment, they made a silent agreement…

Eric would support her and Taylor would return to him…

They drove for a few more minutes before Taylor noticed they were heading away from Eric's house.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Eric smiled a little.

"Home," he said. Taylor just looked at him questioningly, but trusted him. They turned onto a road and Taylor saw a large white house with maroon shutters and a three-car garage. There was a 'Sold' sign out front. Eric pulled into the driveway and into the garage.

"What's this about?" she asked as she got out of the car and made her way around to him. Eric placed an arm around her waist and led her up a few stairs until they came to a landing that led into the house.

"You asked me before you left where we were going to live, and I found a place that was big enough for everything," he said as he opened the door. Taylor found herself walking down a small hallway that opened up into a large kitchen.

"Wow," she said as she looked around. There was a larger living room off of the kitchen, as well as a dining room, an extra room, an office, and a bathroom.

Eric grinned and led her upstairs. "There's three bedrooms and a bathroom up here, and another room that could be used for a bedroom if we need it," he said.

"Eric… this must have cost a fortune," she breathed. "How can we afford it?" He just grinned and took her bag from her.

"It was a gift." Taylor looked at him oddly. "Mr. Collins called it an early wedding present."

"Are you serious? We… we can't accept this! It's too much!" she said shocked. Eric just placed an arm around her waist and brought her over to a door set a little away from the others.

"Believe me, I already had this chat with both Wes and Mr. Collins. There's no getting through to them. He insisted on giving this to us." Eric opened the door and Taylor walked up a small flight of stairs that opened up into the biggest room in the house… their room.

"Holy shit," she said in awe. Eric walked up behind her and eased her in. The room was done in soft yellows and a deep crimson color with black accents. There was a small sitting area with a fireplace and couch in the center, and off to the left was a king size bed and a bathroom off of the bedroom. A large walk in closet was to the left of the sitting area. "This is way too much," she said, still taken back a little.

"I thought the same thing at first," he said as he put her bag down and took her in his arms. "That bed is way too big for just one person," he whispered as he kissed her gently. Taylor melted into his arms and felt herself instantly relax as he picked her up and brought her over to the bed…


	13. Chapter 13

Taylor woke up and snuggled into the rich, thick bedding and sighed happily. She reached out and felt for Eric, but he wasn't there.

She opened her eyes and saw that he was sitting on the couch in his boxers, writing something. Carefully she sat up and held the covers over her naked body.

"Eric?" she asked. Eric's head immediately turned and he tried to hide the paper in his hand. "What are you doing?" she asked sleepily. "Come back to bed."

He settled the paper on the table and returned to her, taking her body against his. The warmth coming from each other was welcomed and they savored it.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"I slept great," she said as she snuggled into him. Eric's arm tightened around her and he kissed her forehead.

"So what do you have planned for me today?"

Eric laughed. "What makes you think I have anything planned? I still have to work you know."

Taylor propped herself up on her elbow. "Are you serious?" Eric only nodded his head. "Are you kidding me? I'm leaving for who knows how long and you're going to work?"

Eric grinned at her. He was going to miss seeing her all riled up like this, but he knew that he should straighten the situation out before she really got pissed.

He reached out and pulled her down on top of him. "You should look into anger management therapy," he said as he kissed her forehead. Taylor sighed.

"You're a jerk."

"But you love me," he responded. Taylor couldn't argue there. "So, yes I have to head in for an hour or so, but while I'm there I think you should go see Cole and Alyssa. I know they're worried about you. Plus Jen and Wes are coming back from LA with Alec and hopefully you'll get to see him."

Taylor knew he was right, and after a few more minutes of lying around, they got up and headed out. She drove her yellow mustang down the streets to Alyssa's modest house and smiled when she saw that Cole's beat up red pickup truck was in the driveway.

Before she was out of the car, Alyssa came bounding out of the house and as soon as the door was open, she embraced Taylor in a hug.

Taylor just hugged her back and as they pulled away, she couldn't help but notice Alyssa had a ring on her finger.

"When did that happen?" Taylor asked as she held Alyssa's left hand. Alyssa blushed.

"Well, it sort of happened last night," she said shyly.

Taylor smiled and hugged her again. "I'm so happy for you!" she said.

"Taylor!"

Taylor smiled when Cole came out and grabbed her in a tight hug. "Cole… I need to breath," she got out. Cole released her and apologized.

The three former rangers went inside the house and caught up a bit. Cole and Alyssa were saddened to hear that she was leaving, but Taylor had assured them that she would make it back safe.

An hour passed and Eric hadn't called like he said he would. Taylor was beginning to get a little nervous, but he had probably been caught up in something or other. The sound of the doorbell made them all turn their heads.

Alyssa got up and answered it. As soon as the door was open, she let out a huge grin. Standing on her doorstep was Eric, with Max and Danny in tow.

"Oh my…" she said before she hugged Danny fiercely. "You guys!" she called into the living room. Cole and Taylor emerged and their faces lit up.

The Wild Force Rangers rejoiced in being together again. Taylor hugged Max and ruffled his hair a bit. She looked over his shoulder and saw Eric grinning. After she hugged Danny, she walked over to her fiancé.

"How?" she asked in shock.

"Cole gave me their number and I got the last two seats on a train for them. I knew you'd want to see them before you left."

"This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me," she said as she hugged him.

Max looked over at Taylor and Eric and laughed. "I guess we missed a lot," he said.

Danny looked at Alyssa and Cole and noted Alyssa's new jewelry. "You're not kidding," he said happily.

The rest of the afternoon, and into the night, the Wild Force team reconnected in more ways than they thought was possible. Even after a year of working together, they still had so much to learn from each other.

Eric just sat back and laughed at them all. They reminded him so much of his own team, and he suddenly found that he missed all the quirky little things Lucas, Katie, and Trip would do.

He was overjoyed to see Taylor so happy. She needed this before she left. Though his night hadn't gone exactly as planned, he knew it was a fitting farewell for her. Tomorrow was his final day with her, and he didn't want any interruptions…


	14. Chapter 14

Eric sat on the couch in his room looking over the paperwork in front of him. Tonight was he and Taylor's last night together for several months and he wanted to make sure everything was set.

Right now, Taylor was out with Jen and Alec, and he was thankful that she and the Pink Time Force ranger had found a common ground and were able to be close friends. While Alyssa was a great friend to her, Taylor and Jen seemed to share a few more things in common.

His cell phone rang and he answered it.

"Everything is all set," he heard Wes say on the other end. Eric ran his hands through his short hair and sighed. "You alright?"

"Yeah Wes. Everything's fine… or at least I hope it will be," he said. Wes knew what he was talking about and felt for his best friend. Eric wasn't the best with relationships and now that he finally had one he was petrified to lose it.

"Alright buddy. Jen and my little guy just got back here, so Taylor can't be too far behind." Eric heard the garage door open.

"Thanks Wes," he said as he hung up and walked downstairs.

Taylor was exhausted. Jen had literally worn her out with all the shopping they did. They had gone to get a few things for the baby, but Jen had insisted on Taylor getting a few things. A few things translated to several business-type suits and a few other things she would be showing Eric later…

"Eric?" she called. Her voice seemed to echo through the large house and she grinned as she saw him walk into the kitchen. He surprised her by taking her into his arms and dipping her off to the side, holding her there. It was like their first kiss all over again…

"How much did you end up putting on my credit card?" he asked as he inched closer to her lips.

"A few hundred bucks… nothing you can't afford," she replied. Eric kissed her quickly and stood her up.

"I hope you're joking," he said still holding her. Taylor just grinned and kissed him again.

"Good thing I'll be out of the country when you get the bill then, huh?" she said as she walked over to her things and took out a very small black bag that Eric recognized as being from a local lingerie shop.

"Well, if you go buying things at _Adriana's_, I'll have to let you go shopping more often," he said huskily. Taylor just shook her head and walked towards her room with Eric in tow. "So what's the big plan for my last night?"

Eric smirked as she entered into their closet and disappeared from his sight. "Well, as soon as you're through in there, I have some things I want to talk to you about," he said as he sat on the couch, taking up his paperwork again.

Taylor suddenly got a little nervous and abandoned her bags. "What kind of things?" she said as she sat next to him. Eric handed her the papers and she read them over; her eyebrows rose a bit and she looked at him.

"Mr. Collins wants me to help oversee some new project when I return?" she asked in shock. Eric nodded.

"He wants to expand with the Guardians. Maybe even someday form a ranger team of it's own. Plus we've been talking to Andros, the Red Space Ranger, about possibly setting up an intergalactic alliance."

Taylor was in a bit of shock. It was no surprise to her that there were other types of life out there, but she wasn't fully aware until she read the detailed list of all the races that was in the papers in front of her.

"So because of my military background, he thinks I'll be able to help in making this new thing happen?"

He nodded. "Well, he was hoping you and I could oversee it… Andros recommended someone to help us out already, and he was hoping we could help with the ranger end of things. Past experiences and what not."

"Wow… this is…" Taylor said stunned. The plans were very well laid out in front of her and there really were no questions in her mind as to whether or not she wanted to do this. "Where to I sign?" she asked.

Eric had hoped she would say yes. Mr. Collins had been working on this project for sometime, and with Andros coming in and helping he and Wes, he knew he wanted Eric to head it up with Taylor at his side.

"You really want to do this?" Eric asked. Taylor nodded.

"It sounds interesting… not to mention groundbreaking… of course I want in," she replied.

Eric smiled and handed her a pen. "Just sign here and they can go ahead with the preliminary work. As soon as you come back, we'll be working together."

Taylor smirked. "Wonderful," she said as she signed. "Not only do I have to deal with you at home, but now at work too," she said sarcastically.

"You're a bitch sometimes you know that?" he said playfully as she handed him the papers. He placed them on the table and Taylor kissed him.

"Yes I do," she said. "Now what are we doing tonight? As much as I would love to bicker with you, I can think of a few more things we could be doing…"

Eric stood and offered her his hand, and she took it. "Come on," he said as they went out to the driveway.

Taylor stopped short when she saw a car waiting for them. She looked at Eric questioningly. Neither one of them were dressed to go anywhere fancy, but she trusted him as he opened the door for her and she got in.

Eric climbed in after her. "Where are we going?" she asked. Eric just took her hand in his as the car drove off.

"You'll see," was all he said. Taylor sat back and her mind began to wander as she watched Silver Hills fade away and knew they were heading for Turtle Cove. It was then that Taylor realized where he was taking her…

"Are we going…" she began, but stopped when the car halted and the driver opened the door for them. Taylor saw the wooded area and smiled at Eric who was right behind her.

"Shall we?" he asked as her took her hand and began walking. Taylor followed him into the trail and felt the familiar rush of air surround her. Her eyes closed for a moment and when she opened them again, she saw the Animarium before them. They walked passed the temple, where they saw the enchanted spring, now dormant.

"Does the Princess know we're here?" she asked cautiously. Eric brought her into the temple and she gasped slightly.

Inside were what seemed like thousands of candles that lit the way to what had been her room when she was a ranger.

"Yeah… she knew we would want some privacy," he said softly as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "She helped a little… I wanted you to remember this night."

Taylor sighed and closed her eyes. This was by far the most romantic thing she had ever experienced. The sky was turning into the beautiful blackness of night, and Taylor knew her last night would be remembered.

Eric turned her around slowly and cupped her face with his hands. "There's something else," he said. Taylor saw that he had a small band on his pinky finger. He removed it and took her left hand in his. "I don't want you going off without having you as my wife."

Her eyes shone and she grinned as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a similar band that was larger than the one he held. "While we were out today… I kind of had the same idea," she said laughing a little. Eric rolled his eyes.

"I go to all this trouble trying to be romantic and you go and ruin it for me," he said jokingly. Taylor grinned.

"Will you just shut up and kiss me already?" she asked softly as she leaned in slightly. Eric complied and met her lips gently, savoring everything about the kiss they were sharing.

The broke apart, but their lips were still close enough that they were nearly touching. Eric placed the band on Taylor finger.

"I take you to be my wife," he whispered as he kissed her lightly. Taylor smiled as she slipped the ring she held onto his finger.

"I take you to be my husband," she said softly as a tear fell down her cheek. Eric wiped it away with his thumb. They kissed then and both of them felt a new sensation run through them. They would have a formal ceremony when she returned, but for now, knowing in their innermost heart that they were married was more than they could have asked for.

Eric leaned his forehead against hers and they stayed like that for a few moments before he placed an arm behind her back, with the other under her knees. Taylor felt herself being picked up and brought over to a pile of blankets and pillows off in the corner.

Taylor kissed his neck and he had to restrain himself from tearing her clothes off right there. He lowered her down into the soft bedding and kissed her with more passion then he knew he possessed. Taylor let out a soft moan as she felt every single nerve in her body tingle.

Her hands found his shirt and she lifted it over his head quickly. Eric felt her sense of urgency and removed hers as well. Taylor reached behind her and unhooked her bra as Eric worked on her pants as well as his own. His rough hands traced a line from her neck, down her breasts to her underwear that he removed faster than Taylor thought possible. Eric took his boxers off and laid himself half on top of her.

They kissed gently and slowly as their hands roamed. Taylor arched her back into him as his hands did wonderful things to her breasts and thighs. Her hands reached in between his legs and she grasped his erection, pumping it as their kisses stopped and they panted for breath.

Taylor stopped and saw his eyes meet with hers. God how she loved this man. She never thought it would be possible with her past history, but Eric had shown her how to love and be loved… however harsh he may have seemed.

She saw him reach over to his discarded pants and she grabbed his arm. Eric turned his head sharply with a questioning look in his eyes. She brought his arm back and placed it around her waist.

"I want to spend tonight as any wife does on her wedding night… just me… and you," she whispered as she kissed him again. Eric ran his hand over her hair.

"You're sure?" he asked almost desperately. Taylor saw that his brow was sweating and she knew she was sweating as well. "I want nothing more than to do this but…"

"But nothing," she said. "I'm ready to accept anything that comes from this."

Eric slowly lowered himself down onto her and felt her nails dig into his back as he entered her in one swift thrust. They both let out a satisfied groan as they were truly joined as one, skin to skin, for the first time.

He moved in and out of her in long strokes and found that he had never experienced anything like this in his entire life. This was the way things were always meant to be… he knew he had been born to be with her, and she with him. They both had found their home at last.

Taylor's eyes screwed shut when she felt him playing with her sensitive breasts as he continued to make love to her. She kissed his neck and grasped any piece of skin she could.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Taylor felt her insides clench around him, and felt her orgasm crash over her. If she hadn't been holding onto him, she swore she would have flown across the room. Eric continued his ministrations and felt her hit her peak again. This time he felt his own consume him as he spilled himself into her soft folds.

They lay there panting for several minutes, holding and kissing until Eric rolled off of her, reluctantly pulling out. Taylor moaned at the loss of his heat, but he pulled her close and covered them in a blanket.

He lay on his back with Taylor resting in his arms, his hand running through her hair as hers traced his chest. He kissed her forehead as he felt sleep come over him. Taylor too fell asleep, knowing that tomorrow it would be a whole different world…


	15. Chapter 15

"Move out!"

Taylor and the rest of her crew headed out of the meeting and back to the hanger. It had been nearly two months since she and her fellow pilots departed from their homes on the west coast and over to Virginia. It had been a month since they had been overseas…

They weren't allowed to disclose their location to anyone, and that made Taylor miss home and Eric even more. When she had awoken the morning she left him, she found herself in her bed in her husband's arms. He had somehow managed to get her back home without waking her.

It had been the best night of her life, and she held onto that memory every time she went on a new mission. Though they weren't legally married yet, she was his wife in every sense of the word.

"Lieutenant!" Taylor snapped back to attention as one of her crew handed her the latest readouts of where they were heading.

"Suit up and move out," she ordered. The pilot followed orders and she climbed into her plane. As soon as she was set, she glanced at her wedding ring and prayed to the powers that be that she would make it back safe to see Eric again…

In Silver Hills, Eric sat with Mr. Collins and raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that the person Andros recommended isn't human?" he asked.

"She's from a very unique planet from what Wes has told me," Mr. Collins replied. "Something about her having feline qualities as well as human ones."

"Dad?" Wes said as he entered the office. "They're here."

"They?" Eric asked as he followed the two Collins men down the hall to a meeting room.

"Yes. Ms. Manx brought her associate, Anubis Cruger," Wes said.

"Is he half cat too?" Eric asked as they entered. Eric stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him was a mountain of a man… only that the man had the face of a dog and was blue.

Mr. Collins, too, was a bit in shock. The two new creatures approached him.

"Alan Collins… it's a pleasure to meet you," the smaller of the two said. She resembled a cat, but seemed more human than the other new person. "I'm Dr. Kat Manx, and this is Anubis Cruger." Mr. Collins shook their hands and he introduced Eric to them both.

"Andros spoke highly of you," Cruger said as he shook Eric's hand. "Said we could learn a lot from each other."

Eric smirked. He knew he'd like this guy. "What are your plans?" he asked as they all sat.

For the next hour or so, both Kat and Anubis spoke of the technology they could offer the Guardians in order to keep the peace on Earth, as well as in the universe.

"We've also spoken with your President and several other world leaders in regards to a sort of… migratory option for others like us in the universe," Kat said. "There are several other planets that have already gone through this process and all parties involved are flourishing."

"Interesting," Mr. Collins said. "So, somewhere in the near future, you're saying that aliens and humans will live together here on Earth?"

"Precisely. And humans will be given the option to relocate as well," Cruger put in. "All in all, it's a sort of sharing experience. We all can learn from each other if we work together."

"It will take time, but it will succeed. I'm sure of it," Kat said as they finished their small presentation.

Wes and Eric were stunned. This all seemed too good to be true. With new beings on Earth, the world may have some hope for peace after all. That thought brought Eric's mind back to his wife, as everything nowadays did.

She was on a peacekeeping mission right now and he just had a feeling that something was wrong with her. Wes and everyone else that saw him noted the ring on his hand, but didn't ask any questions. Whatever he and Taylor decided to do was between them; making them talk about it would only end in a fight.

"Everything sounds wonderful," Mr. Collins said as he stood. "I want to start work immediately. Eric will be working with you while Wes makes the transitions with the guardians and surrounding law enforcement. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Wasn't there another person overseeing the operations?" Cruger asked.

"To help with the training and regulations?" Kat added on.

Eric stood and Wes knew it hurt him to say it. "There is… Taylor Earhardt. She's currently overseas with the Air Force. She should be back soon," he said. Cruger and Kat knew then that this Taylor woman held a special place in Eric's heart, and they dared not ask any more.

"We'll be anxious for her safe return," Cruger said. Eric nodded his thanks, and he and Wes showed them out.

They watched them drive away and both of them sighed. "That was interesting," Wes said as they walked back to their offices.

"He's a dog," Eric said bluntly.

"Wow, you're one to point out the obvious aren't you."

"Shut it Wes."

"Easy over there. He's a genius. And Kat knows more than you or I ever will. Andros spoke very highly of the both of them."

"Where is he anyway?"

"Ashley's pregnant again and he didn't want to leave her."

Eric shut his mouth. The topic of children was something he didn't want to talk about right now. When he thought about that, he thought about Taylor, and the feeling of unease came back.

Wes saw him space out and was about to ask what was going on when his phone rang. Eric saw his face drain of color for a minute before he jumped out of his seat and made a beeline for the door. Eric ran after him.

"Wes? What's going on?" he asked nervously.

"It's Jen… something up with Alec," he said as he got on his motorcycle and headed towards the hospital. Eric's stomach fell. The newest member of the Collins family had had some breathing problems when he was born… something wasn't right.

He ran back in to tell Mr. Collins what was happening when the man he was searching for stopped him. Eric could tell by the expression his face that something else had happened.

"Eric, we need to talk," he said carefully.

"Alan, Jen took Alec to the hospital and Wes just left," Eric got out. The older man's face dropped a little more and the news he had was even harder to say now.

"Eric, there's something that's just come through and I think you should sit down," he said. Eric's eyes lit up… Taylor. "Eric, a call came in for you but I took it… there's been an attack and Taylor…"


	16. Chapter 16

Eric's heart literally stopped in his chest. Everything went blank for a moment before Mr. Collins continued.

"Her squad was attacked on the ground," the older man said slowly. Eric sank into a nearby chair.

"Is she…" he got out. He couldn't even make the words come out of his mouth.

"She was injured, but she's alive." Eric took a deep breath and put his head in his hands. "They want you to call this number," he said as he handed a small piece of paper to him.

Without words, Alan placed a hand on Eric's shoulder and he knew that that was all he really could do.

"Go… take care of Alec," Eric said at last.

"Are you going to be alright?" Alan asked. Eric slowly stood and walked towards his office.

"I hope so," was the whispered reply he got back. Eric stepped into his office and dialed the number as fast as he could. "Damn it, pick up!" he yelled into the phone. When he finally got an operator he calmed down a bit.

The conversation was brief, but Eric was assured that Taylor was alive and stable. She was being sent back to the states for further medical treatment.

"I want her sent to Silver Hills Memorial," he said. "They have one of the best trauma centers in the country." The operator confirmed that she was being sent there and Eric hung up. All he could do now was wait until she arrived back home. The woman on the phone had said she and a few others would be arriving by the end of the day.

He knew what he had to do next, and was dreading it… He picked up the phone and dialed Alyssa's number…

Several hours later found Eric sitting in the waiting room with Mr. Collins. Alec was in having a few tests and his parents were with him.

The Quantum Ranger on the other hand was on pins and needles. Taylor was due to arrive within minutes. His call to Alyssa was easier than he thought. Luckily Cole had answered and was faced with the task of explaining everything to his fiancé.

They still weren't told the full extend of Taylor's injuries, but Eric knew there was some reason as to why they hadn't disclosed the information. All they knew was she had suffered some burns and a broken wrist. Anything else was going to be news to them.

"Eric Meyers?" a doctor called.

Eric was immediately on his feet and the doctor made his way towards him.

"I'm Doctor Gallant. Lieutenant Earhardt just arrived and is having a work up… She's asking for you," the doctor said. Eric looked at Alan and then turned back to the doctor who led him to an elevator.

The entire way up Eric was nervous as hell… more nervous than he had ever been.

"Now Mr. Meyers, Lieutenant Earhardt had a concussion and a few minor burns to her back and legs. Her left wrist is broken, but it was casted. There was an explosion and a few pieces of debris stabbed her right leg," the doctor said.

Eric paled. He didn't realize it had been that bad. "Is it serious?" he asked.

"They cleaned out most of the wounds at the hospital over there, but there's still a few that will require surgery to take out."

"When?"

"We've scheduled it for as soon as we're done the workup. There are a few things that the field doc mentioned that we want to check out before we do anything."

"Like what?" he asked annoyed. Why hadn't anyone told him she had been hit!

"According to the field physician, she's been getting spells of nausea and fainted a few times… we should have a better understanding of her condition in a few minutes."

Eric listened, but nothing registered. All he wanted to do was see her and hold her in his arms. The elevator reached the recovery ward and Dr. Gallant showed him to her room.

Taylor lay in bed with several bandages around her arms and back and a cast on her wrist. Her stomach hurt severely, and the nurse told her that she would be getting an ultrasound to rule out any internal bleeding. Her leg was numb from a medication and covered by bandages, but she knew it didn't look pretty.

There had been a large piece of what she assumed was the semi that exploded, that literally stuck out a few days ago. The docs had removed it, but there was still a deep wound and a few pieces left in there.

Her head ached and her body hurt as well, but all she wanted was to see Eric. She knew he must be worried, and in all truth she was worried as well. It had been two long months overseas and she had been sick.

"Taylor," she heard softly from the doorway. Her head turned and she saw Eric rush into the room. He stood over her and placed his hand on her face. His eyes shone with unshed tears and he leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "Thank God," he whispered as he leaned his head against hers.

Taylor reached her arm around him as best she could and just took in his scent and the feeling of having him near. She kissed his cheek and he looked at her.

"What happened?" he asked softly as he ran his finger along her jaw line. Eric sat in a nearby chair as Taylor closed her eyes slowly and remembered what had happened.

"We were getting ready to head out to the hanger when one of the semi's just blew up… Teresa and I got tossed a few yards away, and then I felt a stabbing pain in my leg… I think it was a piece of the truck or something… but it was in there pretty good… I don't remember much after that, I passed out," she said.

Eric clung to her hand as best he could without causing her pain. "They said you'd been sick and that you fainted a couple times… are you sure you're alright?" he asked nervously as he glanced down and saw a tiny spot of blood on her right leg.

She pulled away a little. "Yeah… it's probably just from the environment changing. A few others had a bug right after we got over there."

"Well, you're home now… you don't have to worry about going back again." Taylor sighed. Her friends were still over there, but from what she had been told, the group they were trying to stop had had their numbers reduced. Her squad would be returning home soon to their families. "What about the others?"

Taylor sighed. "Teresa was fine… she's still over there, but we lost two men and about fifteen others were injured. Two others and me were the only ones that were really injured badly enough to come home."

"I don't know what I would have done if…" he said softly as he felt her run her thumb along his hand.

"They said I need surgery to get the rest of the stuff out of my leg," she almost whispered. "I don't think I'll be able to climb the stairs for a little while… you're going to have to carry me," she said smiling a little.

Eric grinned and kissed her hand. "Anything you want," he said as he smoothed her hair back with his free hand.

"Be careful what you say… I could hold you to that."

They sat there for almost a half an hour, just content to finally be back together. Eric told her about Anubis and Kat and she seemed to like the idea… anything to get her mind off her current situation. He decided to put off telling her about Alec for now… she didn't need any other kind of stress right now.

"Lieutenant Earhardt," Dr. Gallant said as he reentered with her chart in hand. "We have you test results back and they're ready for you in surgery… but there were some interesting findings with your blood work…"

Both Eric and Taylor sat up a little straighter ass he said this. "Findings?" she asked nervously.

"Yes," Gallant said. "I think it would explain the fainting and nausea." The doctor paused a moment before he dropped the biggest bombshell on both rangers. "You're pregnant."


	17. Chapter 17

"That's a good one," Taylor said after a minute. Eric didn't find it funny though. If she was pregnant…

"Are you serious?" Eric asked, finding his voice.

The doctor smiled. "Positive… we'll need to do an ultrasound though to make sure everything's alright. If you're experiencing any pain in your abdomen, we need to do this as soon as possible," he said.

"But… how? When?" Taylor stammered as everything settled in. "Oh my God, is the baby going to be okay after what happened? I swear… I didn't know…" she said as tears gathered in her eyes. She looked at Eric. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," she began, but Eric just rubbed her hand and kissed it.

He knew he had to be strong for her. "Everything's going to be ok… isn't it?" he asked Gallant. A nurse came in pulling a machine behind her and Gallant began to set it up.

"We'll know in a few minutes… Taylor? Have you experienced any bleeding at all?" he asked as Taylor was laid flat on her back, with the nurse easing her shirt up.

Taylor thought for a moment. "No… none at all… I didn't even think that this could have happened," she said as she wiped away more tears. She couldn't live with the fact that she had placed her child in danger… she couldn't lose Eric's child.

"That's a good sign," he said as he placed the probe on Taylor abdomen. She clung to Eric's hand, and he to hers as they watched the small monitor… after a few moments of searching, Gallant held the monitor in one spot and smiled. He pointed to a small object that was moving rapidly.

"Is that?" Eric said in shock.

"That's the heartbeat," Gallant said. He turned another switch and both Taylor and Eric heard the most wonderful thing… a steady, strong, heartbeat… the heartbeat of their child.

"Wow," Eric said softly. Taylor turned her head to him and they both had tears in their eyes now. He stood up and kissed her forehead.

Gallant grinned and was about to turn it off, when he heard something that caught his ear. It wasn't much, but maybe…

He moved the probe around a bit more and stopped again. Taylor and Eric turned their attention back to the doctor. "What?" Taylor asked nervously.

"Well, there appears to be another heartbeat," he said plainly.

Eric's face dropped. 'Oh shit,' he said in his head. He had completely spaced the fact that his father had been a twin, and that theoretically he was next in line to have them in the family.

"Do multiples run in the family?" Gallant asked as he took a few stills from the monitor to print.

Taylor was still in a state of shock over the entire thing, and could only shake her head 'no.' Eric on the other hand nodded his head, obviously in much of the same state as his partner. The doctor had to laugh. He had heard a lot about the Commander of the Silver Guardians, and seeing him in this state was almost comical.

But this was no time to be funny. He knew that Taylor and her babies weren't out of the woods yet. "It looks like you're about eight weeks along," he said. "I'm going to inform the O.R. and the obstetrics department and let them know you'll be heading up there after you come out of surgery."

Taylor flexed her hand over Eric's and he snapped back to attention.

"I'll be back to take you up in a minute," the doc said as she left. As soon as he left, Taylor let her guard down and sat up, sobbing. Eric sat with her carefully and took her in his arms.

"How could I have not have noticed? What if something had gone wrong and I lost them? I can't believe I was so thoughtless," she cried into his shirt.

Eric held her close and ran his hand down her back and her hair. "It's not you're fault," he said. "There was no way you could have known." He let her cry into his shirt, but inside he wanted to let everything out as well.

The shock of her being hurt, then finding out that he could have lost her and his children… He would have time to worry later. Right now he needed to be there for her and let everything sink in for the both of them.

"What if something goes wrong Eric? What happens if I still lose them?"

Eric pulled away a little and kissed her forehead. "You won't. You've survived something horrible and made it back here safely. There's nothing left in the way of us living out our lives with our kids."

Taylor sniffled a little and Eric wiped her tears away. "We're really having a baby," she said smiling.

"We're having two there Lieutenant," he said softly. Taylor leaned her head against his.

"You always have to be right don't you?" she whispered. Eric just nodded his head and kissed her lips gently.

"You bet." They both smiled at each other and Taylor's hand drifted to her stomach. Eric placed his over it and they both grinned.

"I know I said I was ready for anything that could have happened that night… but… wow," Taylor said laughing a bit.

Moments later a few nurses came in and brought Taylor upstairs for surgery. Eric held her hand until they reached the elevator and he had to leave her. "Love you," he said as the doors closed.

As soon as they were shut, Eric walked a little further down the hall until he found a small alcove that was empty. Only then did he let his emotions take over. He sank to the floor and let his tears flow…

Three hours later, Taylor woke up in a different room and found that she wasn't alone. Her sleepy eyes opened and she saw Eric's head resting on the side of her bed. She attempted to sit up, but found that her head was still spinning.

"Eric," she whispered. His head shot up and he wiped the sleep from his eyes as well. She noticed that they were a little red and puffy. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course I am," he said quickly. "How do you feel?"

She stretched a little and looked down to her leg that was propped up a bit. A fresh new set of bandages were on and she felt a little bit of stinging. "Tired… how many stitches did I get?"

"I think they said something like thirty interior and twenty exterior… they got everything out though."

"I feel like a pincushion."

"Are you in any pain?" he asked alarmed as his hand went to her stomach. Taylor smiled a little and placed her hand over his.

"No… we're all fine," she said. Eric gave her a nervous smile. "I just wanted to see how that sounded."

"I think it sounds perfect," he said. Taylor sighed happily.

"I had a dream when I was under the anesthesia… about them," she said in reference to the kids inside of her. Eric smiled. "We had a boy and a girl."

Eric took her hand and kissed it. He saw her wedding band and remembered something. He reached into his pocket and retrieved her engagement ring that had been returned to him along with all her personal things.

"I think we should get married officially before they're born," he said as he placed the ring on her finger. Taylor smiled and yawned again. "But we can talk about that when you're feeling better… go to sleep. You need your rest… all of you."

She smiled and closed her eyes. Eric kissed her forehead. He placed his hands on her stomach and laid his head down next to her.


	18. Chapter 18

"Jen, he's beautiful," Taylor said as she held her Godson. Alec was just fine after his little scare last week; the day Taylor returned to them all. The doctors said that he may develop colic, but the chances of him recovering were great.

Taylor sighed. She hadn't told anyone about her pregnancy yet, but she wouldn't be able to hide it for long.

The doctors said that her leg would heal within the next few months, and by then she'd be nearly five months along. She stared down at the little head of light hair and knew he'd be a heartbreaker when he got older.

"It's weird to think of us having kids," she said suddenly, not realizing what she had done.

Jen nearly dropped the glass she was holding. "Us?" she got out. Taylor sheepishly nodded her head. "I think I need to sit down."

Taylor smiled a little. "Well it's a good thing you are… the doc said I'm having twins." Jen's mouth fell open.

"How far along are you? It can't be that long." Taylor sighed and cuddled Alec close to her as she told Jen everything that had happened. Throughout the entire story, the Pink Time Force Ranger was in complete awe at how Taylor made it through something so bad and was rewarded with something so good.

"And they want me in the chair until my leg's better," Taylor said pointing to the wheelchair in the corner. With her wrist broken she couldn't use crutches and they wanted her off her feet for the next few weeks just to be sure the babies were going to be okay.

"You are one lucky lady," Jen said as she took her son back. "Eric must have been going crazy."

"He was at first, now he's all over me, making sure I'm alright with everything… but hey, I can't complain. I like the attention. Not to mention he has to carry me up all the stairs in the house." Jen laughed, but in all truth, Eric had set up their spare room downstairs into a temporary room for them while Taylor healed.

"I just hope everything works out," Jen commented. Taylor sighed and placed a hand on her, for now, flat abdomen and sighed.

"Me too Jen… me too."

Moments later, Eric and Wes arrived at the Collins' new house and Wes immediately took his son in his arms.

"You're going to have some new playmates soon little guy," Wes said to his son. Eric walked over to Taylor and sat with her.

"You told him?" she asked. He nodded his head and she revealed that she had told Jen as well. He kissed her cheek.

"I asked around and I think I've set up a wedding for us." Taylor looked at him oddly.

"You think?" she asked. Eric grinned.

"John Talon's on the Guardians and he's a Justice of the Peace. He said he'd be honored to marry us whenever we want." Taylor sighed happily. Things were definitely looking up…

Six weeks later saw Eric and Taylor standing outside in the same park where Carter had come to collect Cole for their mission to the moon. The event that caused Eric and Taylor to realize their true feeling to each other… the event that led up to this very day.

Taylor stood with Jen and Alyssa by her side, and Eric stood across from her with Wes. They held hands and re-exchanged their rings with each other as John formally joined them as husband and wife.

They kissed as the ceremony came to a close and the small group that had gathered clapped. Jason and Kat, Andros and Ashley, Carter and Dana, and Ryan and Kelsey stood as Eric and Taylor made their way down the small aisle. Taylor smiled at Cole, Merrick, Shayla, Danny, and Max as she passed them.

Eric helped her into the car that was waiting to bring them back to their house for a small reception.

Taylor placed her hand over her stomach and groaned slightly.

"It wasn't THAT bad," Eric said jokingly as he kissed her hand. Taylor gave him an annoyed look and took a deep breath. "Is your leg okay?" Her cast had come off earlier that week and she very thankful for that.

"My leg's fine, but I don't think they want me to enjoy this… I think I'm going to be sick," she said. Eric immediately opened a window and Taylor took in the fresh air. A few moments later her stomach had settled and she leaned back into her husband's embrace. Eric's hand went over her stomach and he could have sworn he felt movement.

Taylor smiled as she felt him trace the small mound of her stomach through the fabric of her pale yellow silk dress. "Did they just move?" he asked.

Taylor nodded. "They just started yesterday… it's not much, but it's enough." His hand lingered on her and he leaned over and kissed the area where his children were. He then moved up and kissed Taylor's lips.

"I love you… all of you," he whispered against her lips. Taylor just grinned and kissed him as the car arrived at their house.

The rest of the afternoon and evening went by in a blur and before he knew it, he and Taylor were in their room opening a few gifts. They had since changed and Taylor was wearing a pair of shorts and one of Eric's t-shirts. Eric was wearing nothing but his boxers and Taylor couldn't complain about the view.

He sat on the couch and propped her legs over his lap. Taylor sank into the pillows and Eric couldn't help but trace the scar that ran along her leg.

Her wrist had healed wonderfully, but her leg still needed some more time. She had managed to make it through the day without complain, but Eric knew she was hurting now.

"Do you need anything?" he asked softly.

"Sleep," she said smiling. "But I don't think I can walk another step." Eric smirked at her and moved to pick her up in his arms.

"Just two more months," he said to himself, but loud enough for Taylor to hear.

"Then five more of me and my raging hormones." Eric placed her on the bed and settled in next to her.

"I can't wait," he said seriously as he rubbed her stomach. "Mr. Collins wants us in the office next week to see the progress of that new project," he whispered.

Taylor smiled and snuggled into him. "I want to meet this Cruger guy and see what I have to work with." Eric kissed her forehead and saw her eyes shut completely. She unconsciously turned onto her side with her back to him and he pulled her close, his hand resting over their children.

The military spirit was still in her and he couldn't wait for them to truly begin their lives…


	19. Chapter 19

Taylor was in complete and utter disbelief. There was a giant blue dog pushing her wheelchair down the halls of Bio Lab. A week had passed and she and Eric were being shown the progress the new organization was making.

"And if you look over here Lieutenant, you'll see the latest in digital containment being tested," Cruger said. Taylor looked through a large window and saw a dummy being blasted with a wave of light.

"Where did he go?" she asked as the dummy disappeared.

"Into a small card that we'll use to contain criminals."

"Save space in the prisons," she said. "How long can they be contained?"

"We're still working on that, but potentially for life if the sentence calls for it," the dog said. Taylor grinned. This was going to be fun. "As soon as you're fully healed and ready, the weaponry will be tested as well as certain plans of defense and tactics. That is if it's alright with you?" he asked. Taylor was technically his superior right now.

She smiled. "It all sounds great to me… almost too good to be true," she said as they came to another room. She saw Eric standing talking to who she assumed to be Dr. Manx. He had already explained to her that Kat was, in fact, a cat. There were five others in the room, donned in white lab coats and masks. "What are they doing in there?"

Cruger pushed the entry button on the door and wheeled her inside. "These are five of the best in their field… they're working on the morphers." Taylor's eyebrows lifted.

"So there are definitely going to be rangers?" Cruger nodded as Eric and Kat joined them. Eric grinned at her.

"Pretty cool huh?" he said. He introduced Kat to Taylor and then Kat introduced the others in the room.

"This is Jonathon Drew," she said as a man with blonde hair shook Taylor's hand. "He's a genius with metals and geology."

Taylor saw a pair of tall African Americans and Kat grinned. "Melissa and Jackson Landors… they're testing the durability of the suits using molecular deconstruction." Taylor shook their hands and saw that, like her, Melissa was pregnant. "This is our electronics master, Jack Carson," Kat said as Taylor shook hands with him. A young girl came over next. "This is Kay. She's our assistant." Taylor shook hands with the young redheaded woman.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric smirk. She looked over to the back of the lab and saw another person… their face was hidden from her.

"And last but not least, our environmental expert. He has an extensive background in botany and we're hoping he can equip the rangers with enough protection against elements," Kat said as the new person turned.

If Taylor was shocked before, this blew her away.

"Daniel Delgado," Kat said. Danny walked over to Taylor and bent down to hug her.

"Danny? How is this possible?" she asked grinning. She trusted Danny, but had no clue how he had gotten involved.

"Well, at your reception Mr. Collins came over to me and we sort of got to talking. He figured with my knowledge of plants and stuff AND being a ranger would help," he said smiling. Taylor had grown to trust Alan Collins like a father. She and the others agreed that their ranger secret was safe with him.

"Wow," was all she said.

"We're just about to conduct our first test of the day," Kat said. Eric stood next to Taylor as Danny and the rest of his fellow scientists gathered around a table and took up a few beakers and other instruments.

They watched as different chemicals were joined… but something happened then that was unexpected. There was a bright light throughout the room, and a sort of… tingling feeling went through everyone in the room… everyone except Cruger and Kat.

Eric felt it and immediately had his mind on Taylor and the babies. "Are you ok?" he asked nervously. Taylor thought for a moment and felt the familiar stirring in her belly from them.

"I think so," she said. She looked over and saw Jackson saying much of the same to Melissa. Kat knew something was wrong and decided to call it a day for everyone. Neither she nor Cruger knew what had happened, but they would find out in the not so distant future…

Five months passed by quickly in Silver Hills and Taylor was feeling like a beached whale. Things at Bio Lab had been going great and as soon as she delivered she was more than ready to get to work.

The incident in the lab that day had shown no side effects to anyone, and they all just assumed that they were fine…

"Eric? Can you get me some ginger ale?" she called from the living room. Eric was in his office and sighed. Taylor had been ordered to bed rest until the twins were born. He had resorted to working from home for the past two weeks, and it was starting to get to him.

Alyssa and Jen had stopped by before he had come home, and it was times like this when he wished they were still there. He had a ton of work to do before the twins came, but he knew batter than to make Taylor upset or angry. Her hormones had been crazy lately and it was all he could do not to lose it.

He entered the kitchen and got her drink. "Eric?" she called again. "No ice." Eric sighed and dumped the drink out and got a new one with no ice. "I changed my mind," she said a moment later. He gritted his teeth and retrieved some ice from the freezer. Walking out into the living room, he saw her staring at a book.

His mind drifted back to the first day they kissed… he placed the glass down and snuck up behind her, taking the book from her hands.

"You know I can't chase you," she said annoyed. "Can I please have my book back?" he just grinned at her and pretended to read it. "And where's my drink?" she asked sweetly. Eric sighed and handed her the glass. "Thank you," she said as she took a long sip.

He sat down at the end of the couch and placed her legs on his lap. "Are they done yet?" he asked.

"Stop treating me like an oven… they're not cooking in there you know."

"I'm just trying to put you in a better mood."

"Mission unaccomplished." Eric sighed and handed her the book back. He stood and began to walk away when he heard her begin to whimper. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

He crouched down next to her and kissed her cheek, placing a hand on her stomach. "Taylor, you're pregnant. It's expected… I wouldn't want it any other way."

Taylor wiped her eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me? I've been a total bitch for the last month."

"Honey, you were a total bitch when I met you," he said smiling. She made a face and was about to yell at him when he leaned up and kissed her lips softly. "And I'm sure you're going to be one for years to come. But in a few weeks you can't use them as an excuse." He kissed her stomach and she smiled then.

"Well you're a pompous asshole." He kissed her again.

"Why thank you. I've worked very hard to become so," he retorted. This could have gone on all day if Taylor hadn't felt a new sensation come over her…

Eric saw her face twist in a look of pain and immediately went on alert. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Taylor felt another pain and gripped his arm.

"I think we need to get to the hospital…"

HEY ALL! THANKS FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! I WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT THE TIMELINE IS A TAD SKEWED.

IN THE SPD EPISODE, 'SAM' THE EXPERIMENT WHERE THE KIDS GOT THEIR POWERS WAS SAID TO HAVE OCCURRED IN 2001… I TRIED TO GO ALONG WITH THE REGULAR TIMELINE, BUT FOR THIS STORY, IT MAY BE OFF BY A YEAR OR TWO…

ANYWAY, CAN YOU GUESS WHICH RANGER IS THEIRS? THE TWIN WILL BE AN OC, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHO IT IS, BUT YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA…

I PROMISE EVERYTHING WILL BE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL IN THE NEXT TWO PARTS… ENJOY!


	20. Chapter 20

"Everything looks good," Dr. Coburn said as she checked on Taylor. "It shouldn't be much longer now.

Taylor sighed and closed her eyes as a contraction came over her. Eric was sitting with her and ran his hand over her head. They had been in the hospital for nearly twelve hours and Taylor was just getting ready to push.

"I don't want to do this anymore," she said. Eric just snickered.

"It's a little late for that," he said as the nurses came in and prepped for the delivery.

Taylor shot him a glare. "You're the one that did this," she said motioning to her belly. Eric smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I didn't hear any complaints from you at the time," he whispered. Taylor smiled a little at that and then felt one of the hardest contractions yet hit her.

The doctor came back in and settled herself at the end of Taylor's bed. "Ok Taylor, this is it," she said.

Taylor looked up at Eric and he kissed her. "Don't be scared… you can do this,"  
he said. Taylor turned her attention back to the doctor as she grit her teeth and pushed as hard as she could.

Eric supported her back as she continued to push a few more times until they heard the cries of their baby.

"It's… a…" the doctor said as she held the baby up. "… girl," she said as she placed the tiny body on Taylor's chest.

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, as she looked at the crying child. She looked at the baby and then up to Eric whose head was right next to hers.

He was utterly speechless as he saw his daughter. The doctor took the baby girl from Taylor and Eric followed her as the nurses cleaned her off.

"Do we have a name for this little lady?" one of the nurses said. Eric looked over to Taylor and they both knew what they wanted to name her…

"Animaria," Eric said.

"Animaria Jean," Taylor corrected. The nurse smiled and wrote the name on a card that was placed in the clear basinet with little Animaria. Taylor was exhausted, but she knew her work wasn't over yet.

Eric returned to her and kissed her. "She's perfect," he said. Taylor felt the need to push again and he braced her back as he had done before. She pushed hard once again and felt a second body emerge, followed by soft crying.

"It's a boy," the doctor said as she placed the second baby on Taylor.

"We have a son," Taylor said as Eric kissed her forehead. Again, he was at a loss at how Taylor could have gone through everything and produced two perfect little babies. They took him away to be cleaned up, like his sister.

"What are we going to call him?" Eric asked her softly.

Taylor thought for a moment and smiled. "I want to call him Schuyler," she said happily as she saw both her children being brought to her.

"Sky," Eric muttered softly. "Schuyler Eric Meyers," he said. Taylor smiled and watched as Eric was handed his daughter and Taylor their son. This was it… they were actually a family now…

A few hours later, Taylor was sound asleep while Eric sat in her room, watching over the three most important people in his life. Schuyler and Animaria were both asleep as well in their clear basinets, and Eric was still in a state of shock.

He was a father… an actual father to these two perfect children. Any fears he had had about them coming into his life were dissipated the moment they were born. Both of them had dark hair and light eyes, but Sky was a little bigger than his older sister.

"Eric?"

His head looked up from the bassinets and he met his wife's sleepy gaze. He moved over to sit next to her and Taylor felt his lips on her cheek. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired as hell," she said laughing a little. She looked over to her kids and grinned. "But I think it was all worth it." They both smiled then and Animaria began to whimper.

Eric picked her up and handed her to Taylor. The little girl quieted almost immediately, but her brother began to cry and Eric took him into his own arms.

Sky's eyes opened and Eric touched his cheek. The child closed his eyes again and Eric cradled him. Taylor looked at her two men and couldn't stop the tears that sprung to her eyes. She realized then that everything that they had been through… all the battles, fights between each other, and her accident all were meant to happen.

Without all the bad things in life, the good things wouldn't seem nearly as great as they were.

She wiped her tears and Eric smiled. "So, you want to do this again?" he asked. Taylor sighed and kissed him.

"If you're a good boy," she replied as they kissed again. Eric just smiled at his family and took in the scene before him.

Three months passed by in the blink of an eye and for the Meyers family, things couldn't have been going better. Taylor was back at work with Eric and the twins were growing bigger by the day.

Their hair had lightened somewhat, but they both still had piercing light eyes like their mother. Sky seemed to be more reserved, while Animaria was very bubbly and open to things.

After a long day experimenting with the new morphing technology at Bio Lab, Eric was beat. Kat seemed to think that by using his Quantum morpher, they could better design the layout of the suits and sequences. He drove into the garage and into the house.

He saw that all the lights were out downstairs, so he made his way up the stairs to the second floor where he heard the distinct sounds of Taylor rocking one of their kids, presumable Sky, to sleep.

Carefully he opened the door to the nursery and saw Taylor nursing his son. At hearing the door open, Taylor turned her head and gave him a tired smile. "How was the test?" she asked. Eric walked over and kissed her.

"It was interesting," he said. "They're using my morpher to try and figure out how to get everything to work."

"Sounds like a busy day." Eric paced his large hand on his son's head and kissed it.

"How were they?" Taylor removed Sky from her breast and Eric gladly took him.

"They've missed you I think… can you get Ani for me?" she asked in reference to her daughter. Eric carried Sky to his crib and retrieved his daughter from hers.

"Wes still can't get over the names," he said as he watched Ani take a hold of Taylor.

She grinned and readjusted herself. "Well, it makes sense considering that's where they were conceived," she said. Eric smirked.

"It's also the place where I realized I loved you," he said as he kissed his daughter's head. Taylor furrowed her brow.

"You knew you loved me that day?" she asked softly. Eric nodded and kissed her.

"It's taken me a long time to admit that, but I really think I did when you ran into me," he said.

"Well, you stole my book," she replied as she felt Ani finish. Eric took his daughter and placed her back in her crib to sleep. He felt her arms wrap around his waist and turned. "I think I loved you that day too," she admitted.

Eric leaned down and kissed her gently. He pulled away and kissed her neck. "What do you say we start practicing for the next one?"

Taylor's eyes closed and she felt his hands grip her hips. "The next one?" she said softly. Eric just continued to kiss her neck and then her forehead. "I guess practice never hurt anyone," she replied as he picked her up and took her to their room…

THE END

* * *

A/N: There it is, Part 1 of my final story. I thought with Sky's personality and everything, that Eric and Taylor fit perfectly as his parents.

Part 2: Sky and Ani begin school and realize they're a little different from the other kids. Will they be able to cope with their powers and their growing family?

Please R&R!


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